title: [Certificate education for geriatric physician: satisfaction and feasibility].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Korea faces a number of challenges to meet demands in the area of geriatric professional medicine in a country with a rapidly ageing population. We evaluated the satisfaction and feasibility of the current education certification for geriatric physicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  Geriatric physicians who were deemed qualified by the Korean Geriatrics Society during the period of 2001 to 2005 (n=2,200) were asked to complete structured questionnaires sent to them by mail about their satisfaction of and need for certificates of education, as well as their opinions on their geriatric specialty training. A total of 419 physicians responded. Descriptive analysis and hierarchical regression were performed to rate the respondents.satisfaction, the characteristics of the need for clarity and utility in education certification, and the characteristics of their patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although most respondents were satisfied with their education certification, those who had more elderly patients, aged 65 or older, and those who had more cognitively impaired patients, rated their education as significantly lower than did other physicians. Both groups expressed the need for more the comprehensive care and assessment concerning of their education. Multiple regression analysis indicated that satisfaction with geriatric physician qualification was associated with a physician's age, specialty, and percentage of elderly patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that the current system of education certification is limited in terms of feasibility and physician satisfaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Chun
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hwa Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyung Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jong Lull
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Chang Yup
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ok Ryun
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Soong Nang
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Jang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002568:Certification; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires