The California Geriatric Medical Training Act requires sufficient coursework and training in the field of geriatrics for medical students and physicians who practice primary care. The act specifies that general internists and family physicians who have a patient population of which more than 25% are at least 65 years of age are required to complete at least 20% of their mandatory CME in the field of geriatric medicine.

The Medical Board of California also encourages other non-primary care physicians to take courses in geriatric medicine as part of their CME. Geriatric Treatment and Care: A Guide for California Physicians is designed to help you achieve these necessary credits.

Inside the Guide, you’ll find critical sections and related assessment questions on:

• Age-Related Changes in Physiology
• Infections in the Elderly
• Abdominal Emergencies in the Elderly
• Heart and Lung Problems
• Syncope
• Osteoporosis
• Psychiatric and Psychosocial Issues
• Depression, Suicide and Elder Abuse in the Acute Care Setting
• End of Life Issues

Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to earn up to 5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ upon completion of the assessment at CMEweb.com, and you’ll receive your credit letter instantly via email or download.

About the Editor

William T. Elliott, MD, FACP is the physician editor for Geriatric Treatment and Care: A Guide for California Physicians. He is currently Chair of the Formulary Committee for Northern California Kaiser Permanente and Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at University of California, San Francisco.

Accreditation Statement

AHC Media is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation

AHC Media designates this enduring material for a maximum of 5 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Physicians participate in this CME activity by reading the articles, using the provided references for further research and studying the questions at the end of the book. Participants will then be directed to a website, where they will complete an online assessment to show what they’ve learned. They must score 100 on the assessment in order to complete the activity, but they are allowed to answer the questions multiple times if needed. After they have successfully completed the assessment, they will be directed to an online activity evaluation form. Once that is submitted, they will receive their credit letters – instantly via email.

Activity Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to:
1. Recognize and respond to the needs and dynamics of the health care of older patients;
2. Develop and evaluate the best practices for the health care of older persons;
3. Develop and evaluate innovative health care programs for older persons.

Target Audience

This activity is intended for physicians licensed by the state of California who treat patients older than age 65.

Effective dates

This material is authorized for CME credits beginning Nov. 1, 2011, and expiring Nov. 1, 2013.

Physician Editor

William T. Elliott, MD, FACP,
Chair, Formulary Committee,
Northern California Kaiser Permanente
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine,
University of California, San Francisco

Peer Reviewer

Joseph E. Scherger, MD, MPH
Vice President, Primary Care,
Eisenhower Medical Center
Clinical Professor,
Keck School of Medicine,
University of Southern California

Statement of financial disclosure: In order to reveal any potential bias in this publication and, in accordance with Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education guidelines, we disclose that William T. Elliott, MD, FACP (physician editor); Joseph E. Scherger, MD, MPH (peer reviewer); Russ Underwood and Jill Von Wedel (editors); Charlie Abraham, MD, Adam Ahmed, MBBS, Gary Hals, MD, PhD, and Azamuddin Khaja, MD (authors); and Keith K. Colburn, MD, Frank LoVecchio, DO, MPH, FACEP, ABMT, and Satish R. Raj, MD (peer reviewers) report no relationships with companies related to the field of study covered by this CME activity.