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Continuing Professional Education Mission and Goals Statement

The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a nationwide not-for-profit association of geriatrics health care professionals, research scientists, and other concerned individuals dedicated to improving the health, independence, and quality of life of all older people. The Society, though its Continuing Professional Education Program, seeks to increase the geriatrics expertise of health care professionals who care for older adults by providing high quality educational programs that address topics that are integral to the care of older adults.

Goals
The Society has set forth the following goals for its professional education programming:

To increase the number of health care professionals who are knowledgeable about and participate in the clinical care of older adults and who seek to improve the quality of their life.
To conduct education programs for all professionals that promote better understanding of the aging process and its unique clinical challenges.

Purpose
The Society, though its Continuing Professional Education Program, seeks to increase the geriatrics expertise of health care professionals who care for older adults by providing high quality educational programs that address topics that are integral to the care of older adults.

Oversight
The Professional Education Executive Committee (PEEC) oversees the Society's Continuing Professional Education program. This interdisciplinary group is responsible for ensuring that Society-sponsored or endorsed continuing professional education programs are conducted in compliance with the standards of the relevant accrediting agencies. The PEEC sets overall policy for the Society's Continuing Professional Education Program and oversees all aspects of implementation, including appropriate needs assessment and evaluation of programs sponsored by the Society. The PEEC reports to the AGS Education Committee, which reports to the AGS Board of Directors.

Content Areas
The content of the AGS' Continuing Professional Education program is focused on improving health care professional knowledge of and ability to treat the common diseases and disorders of older adults. Specific topics on which the Society's educational programming is focused include:

General Principles of Aging
demography of aging, biology of aging, psychosocial aspects of aging, pharmacology, legal and ethical issues, and health care finance

Approach to the Older Patient
hospital-based and community-based geriatric care, nursing home care, geriatric assessment, preventive geriatrics, physical activity, rehabilitation, palliative care, and complementary and alternative medicine

Geriatric Syndromes
dementia, delirium, urinary incontinence, hearing and vision impairment, malnutrition, eating and feeding problems, osteoporosis and osteomalacia, falls and gait disturbances, dizziness and syncope, pressure ulcers, and sleep disorders

Geriatric Psychiatry
depression and other mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, personality/somatoform disorders, substance abuse, and mental retardation

Common Geriatric Diseases, Disorders, and Health Care Concerns
cardiovascular diseases/disorders, hypertension, musculoskeletal diseases/disorders, back pain, diseases/disorders of the foot, neurologic diseases/disorders, infectious diseases, respiratory diseases/disorders, oral diseases/disorders, gastrointestinal diseases/disorders, endocrine/metabolic disorders, diabetes, hormone replacement therapy, gynecologic diseases/disorders, disorders of sexual function, hematologic diseases/disorders, oncology, renal diseases/disorders, prostate disease, dermatologic diseases/disorders)

The Society will also work with organizations that have developed educational programming in other content areas as long as the need for such programming is supported by an appropriate needs assessment.

The Society also sponsors educational programs that are aimed at improving the knowledge and teaching skills of health professionals involved in training older adults.

Validation of Content
Continuing Professional Education Programming regarding clinical recommendations must be based on evidence that is accepted within the profession of medicine as adequate justification for their use. All scientific research referred to, reported or used in support or justification of a patient care recommendation must conform to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection and analysis.

Types of Programming
The Society offers both enduring and live Continuing Professional Education programs. The two major, on-going continuing professional education activities of the Society are: Annual Scientific Meeting and the Geriatrics Review Syllabus, a self-assessment program in geriatrics. It also offers seminars, workshops, audiotapes, other self-assessment programs on specific topics, and jointly sponsors Conferences developed by its state affiliates.

Target Audience
The audience for the Society's Continuing Professional Education Program is for health care professionals who care for older adults.

Expected Result of the Program
Through its programs in Continuing Professional Education, the Society seeks to improve the quality of health care provided to older adults.