CLINICAL AND PRACTICE MANAGEMENT TOOLS

The AGS' highly-acclaimed Geriatrics At Your Fingertips 2005 (7^th) Edition was released in print, on-line, and Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) versions, providing three convenient formats for clinicians to access current, concise information on the evaluation and management of common geriatric diseases and disorders. New tables, algorithms, and assessment instruments are added to each new edition, which contains fully updated content based on the latest clinical guidelines and drug information. The Web and PDA versions are available free-of-charge at the GAYF website. The development and free distribution of the 2005 PDA version were supported by a grant from The John A. Hartford Foundation.

The AGS Practice Management Toolkit, an online members-only resource that provides information that helps clinicians establish or streamline effective geriatrics practices, was updated in 2005. The toolkit offers practical advice on strategic planning and market analysis, contracting for non-clinical services, coding and billing, and clinical delivery models. Updates include the most current coding and billing information plus new sections on "Electronic Health Records" and "Healthcare Accounting and Finance 101." The toolkit is also available to non-members who complete an interactive online educational program.

National Falls Prevention Action Plan

The AGS joined the National Council on Aging, the Home Safety Foundation, and the Archstone Foundation to develop and implement a National Action Plan for falls prevention among older people. Elderly people run the greatest risk of being seriously or fatally injured in falls. The AGS is playing a key role in this national initiative, in part through its work to update the AGS/British Geriatrics Society/American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons "Guideline on the Prevention of Falls in Older Persons," which will be released in 2006. The AGS and its Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA) also provide professional and public information on falls prevention through their Web sites.