title: Organizational issues in establishing geriatrics interdisciplinary team training.
abstract: The John A. Hartford Foundation-supported geriatrics interdisciplinary team training (GITT) initiative was a bold attempt to create a new educational agenda for the health professions. Although some components of GITT were previously in place at the eight institutions that participated in the Hartford initiative and at other institutions (e.g., Department of Veterans Affairs), never before has geriatrics interdisciplinary team training been so systematically planned, implemented, or evaluated. This paper focuses on four organizational factors essential to the establishment of a geriatrics interdisciplinary team training program: (1) organizational readiness to implement GITT, including the needs and existing resources of the organization; (2) partnerships, specifically the relationships between academic and clinical organizations; (3) institutional support, the tangible and intangible sources of support necessary at multiple levels within the organization; and (4) structure, the administrative and organizational requirements for team training programs. An analysis of these four factors and the influences upon them can help facilitate the successful implementation of interdisciplinary training programs at institutions considering this educational approach.
authors.affiliation: UCLA Multicampus Program in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. Dreuben@mednet.ucla.edu
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Reuben
authors.forename: Misty N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Yee
authors.forename: Kenneth D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: Martha S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Waite
authors.forename: Linda O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: Beth A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Benjamin
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zellman
authors.forename: Janet C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Frank
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005582:Foundations; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D017145:Models, Educational; D017146:Models, Organizational; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration; D015279:Organizational Culture; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012944:Social Support; D014146:Training Support / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States