[Health services research in geriatrics and geriatric rehabilitation from the national and international viewpoint].
In Germany, health services research geriatric problems is not of major scientific and political importance. Focusing on geriatrics, it is essential to produce good data concerning efficacy, effectiveness and costs of the interventions. Otherwise, the discussion about the allocation of resources in the German health care system will take place without good arguments for special geriatric interventions. Prerequisite for this goal is the definition of adequate endpoints targeting functional deficits and the operationalization of multi- and comorbidity. Another problem is research focused on the "black box" of specific geriatric interventions. A special German situation is the distinction between acute and rehabilitative geriatric settings where very similar patients are treated. For this reason, it is essential for the geriatrician in the German context to focus more on health services research to demonstrate with scientific evidence their important contribution for the care of the elderly.
Pientka
L
L
Universität Witten/Herdecke Medizinisch-Geriatrische Klinik Augusta-Kranken-Anstalt gGmbH Dr.-C.-Otto-Str. 27 44879 Bochum. lpientka@compuserve.com
D000368:Aged; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005544:Forecasting; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000639:trends*; D005858:Germany; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000639:trends; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000639:trends*; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000639:trends*