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Key summary points: Aim: To explore content preferences, potential barriers and facilitators as perceived by European older adults who have experienced falls with regards to using a fall-prevention patient portal, and to explore regional differences between European participants. Findings: About two-thirds of the participants (n = 121) reported interest in a fall-prevention patient portal providing information on risk factors for falls, relevant medical conditions, Fall-Risk Increasing Drugs (FRIDs), and advice on how to manage fall-related conditions. Fees for use and privacy concerns appeared to be the most important barriers, while a user-friendly portal with easily-accessible information and a physician recommendation seemed to be the most important facilitators. A recommendation for portal use by a family member appeared to be a more important facilitator for participants from Southern and Eastern Europe compared to the other regions. Message: There is considerable interest in a fall-prevention patient portal providing personalized treatment advice, used in addition to a consultation with a physician. The barriers and facilitators to using a portal as identified by participants should be taken into account when developing future fall-prevention patient portals in order to optimize clinical effectiveness. Purpose: Falls are a major and growing health care problem in older adults. A patient portal has the potential to provide older adults with fall-prevention advice to reduce fall-risk. However, to date, the needs and preferences regarding a patient portal in older people who have experienced falls have not been explored. This study assesses content preferences, potential barriers and facilitators with regard to using a patient portal, as perceived by older people who have experienced falls, and explores regional differences between European participants. Methods: We conducted a survey of older adults attending an outpatient clinic due to a fall or fall-related injury, to explore their content preferences, perceived barriers, and facilitators with respect to a fall-prevention patient portal. Older adults (N = 121, 69.4% female, mean age: 77.9) were recruited from seven European countries. Results: Almost two-thirds of respondents indicated they would use a fall-prevention patient portal. The portal would preferably include information on Fall-Risk-Increasing Drugs (FRIDs), and ways to manage other related/relevant medical conditions. Facilitators included a user-friendly portal, with easily accessible information and physician recommendations to use the portal. The most-commonly-selected barriers were privacy issues and usage fees. A family member's recommendation to use the portal was seemingly more important for Southern and Eastern European participants compared to the other regions. Conclusion: The majority of older people with lived falls experience expressed an interest in a fall-prevention patient portal providing personalized treatment advice to prevent further falls. The results will be used to inform the development of a fall-prevention patient portal. The fall-prevention patient portal is intended to be used in addition to a consultation with a physician. Future research is needed to explore how to prevent falls in older patients who are not interested in a fall-prevention patient portal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Falls are under-recognized as adverse drug events.Healthcare professionals are reluctant to withdraw fall-risk-increasing medications.The EuGMS Task and Finish group on fall-risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs) proposes in this paper its recommendations on dissemination of knowledge about, management of, and future research on FRIDs. Falls are a major public health concern in the older population, and certain medication classes are a significant risk factor for falls. However, knowledge is lacking among both physicians and older people, including caregivers, concerning the role of medication as a risk factor. In the present statement, the European Geriatric Medicine Society (EuGMS) Task and Finish group on fall-risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs), in collaboration with the EuGMS Special Interest group on Pharmacology and the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) Geriatric Medicine Section, outlines its position regarding knowledge dissemination on medication-related falls in older people across Europe. The EuGMS Task and Finish group is developing educational materials to facilitate knowledge dissemination for healthcare professionals and older people. In addition, steps in primary prevention through judicious prescribing, deprescribing of FRIDs (withdrawal and dose reduction), and gaps in current research are outlined in this position paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ageing population ought to be celebrated as evidence for the efficacy of modern medicine, but the challenge that this demographic shift presents for 21st century healthcare systems, with increasing numbers of people living with multi-morbidity and frailty, cannot be ignored. There is therefore a need to ensure that all healthcare professionals grasp the basic principles of care of older people. In this paper, we make a case for the development of pan-European education and training standards for the field of geriatric medicine. Firstly, the challenges which face the implementation and delivery of geriatric medicine in a systematic way across Europe are described – these include, but are not limited to; variance in geriatric medicine practice across Europe, insecurity of the specialty in some countries and significant heterogeneity in geriatric medicine training programs across Europe. The opportunities for geriatric medicine are then presented and we consider how engendering core geriatric medicine competencies amongst nongeriatricians has potential to bridge existing gaps in service provision across Europe. Finally, we consider how work can proceed to teach sufficient numbers of doctors and health professionals in the core knowledge, skills and attitudes required to do this. To safeguard the future of the specialty across Europe, we contend that there is a need to strive towards harmonisation of post-graduate geriatric medicine training across Europe, through the establishment of pan-European education and training standards in the specialty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prevention of fragility fractures in older people has become a public health priority, although the most appropriate and cost-effective strategy remains unclear. In the present statement, the Interest group on falls and fracture prevention of the European union geriatric medicine society (EUGMS), in collaboration with the International association of gerontology and geriatrics for the European region (IAGG-ER), the European union of medical specialists (EUMS), the Fragility fracture network (FFN), the International osteoporosis foundation (IOF) – European society for clinical and economic aspects of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis (ECCEO), outlines its views on the main points in the current debate in relation to the primary and secondary prevention of falls, the diagnosis and treatment of bone fragility, and the place of combined falls and fracture liaison services for fracture prevention in older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prevention of fragility fractures in older people has become a public health priority, although the most appropriate and cost-effective strategy remains unclear. In the present statement, the Interest Group on Falls and Fracture Prevention of the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society, in collaboration with the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics for the European Region, the European Union of Medical Specialists, and the International Osteoporosis Foundation-European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis, outlines its views on the main points in the current debate in relation to the primary and secondary prevention of falls, the diagnosis and treatment of bone fragility, and the place of combined falls and fracture liaison services for fracture prevention in older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Introduction: This survey set out to identify innovations in teaching of ageing and geriatric medicine delivered to medical undergraduates in the UK. Methods: An electronic questionnaire which asked respondents to report innovations in teaching of which they were particularly proud was sent to all 31 UK medical schools. Results: Twenty-eight schools agreed to participate and full responses were received from 17. Thirteen of these reported innovations that were categorised in six areas – computing and technology, curriculum design, assessment, student-led teaching, multi-professional teaching, and clinical apprenticeships. The use of technology and multi-professional education were the most common areas of innovation. A broad theme touched on by most respondents was the teaching of ageing as a longitudinal theme throughout the course, across many disciplines, rather than in a discrete module. Conclusions: These data reveal a number of innovations in undergraduate teaching of ageing and geriatric medicine within the UK. Work should now focus on how to disseminate current innovations and co-operate at a national and international level to develop future teaching interventions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses a survey conducted by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) on the length of postgraduate training for geriatrics in 2015 to determine the minimum length of postgraduate for each of 22 countries with geriatrics listed in the European directive. It cites the need for harmonization and quality of geriatrics specialization given the mutual recognition of specialist titles in Europe.