[Quality assurance in geriatrics--opportunities and risks involved in the current health care reform in Germany].
Geriatrics is needed as an independent discipline to cope with the demographic challenges ahead in a medically qualified manner. Geriatrics is a "supraspeciality" and not a "subspeciality" of Internal Medicine, because geriatrics typically combines the different medical disciplines and does not play a role as an independent functional area. For general practitioners and medical specialists a geriatric qualification is required. The geriatric structures in place in the German federal states need to be adapted and advanced with a focus on ambulatory geriatric service provision. The current health care reform has resulted in a strengthening of rehabilitation in general and in particular of an ambulant/mobile service approach. The resultant opportunities and risks are described. Internal and external quality assurance is indispensable for the advancement of structures including geriatrics and social medicine.
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Klinikum Nürnberg, Institut für Qualitätssicherung in der Geriatrie, Nürnberg. cornel.sieber@klinikum-nuernberg.de
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D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000639:trends; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005544:Forecasting; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000639:trends*; D005858:Germany; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000639:trends*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000639:trends; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000639:trends*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000639:trends; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000639:trends*; D013038:Specialization / Q000639:trends