Stanford medical school launches eCampus Geriatrics
The Stanford Center for Longevity reported several months ago that over the next 30 years, the number of people age 65 and older will double, and diversity will significantly increase among the elderly.
In anticipation of these demographic shifts, School of Medicine researchers recently launched eCampus Geriatrics. The educational website offers a range of tools and resources to help health-care professionals provide culturally-competent geriatric care. VJ Periyakoil, MD, director of palliative care education and training at Stanford, explains the driving factors in developing the website and instructional materials:
According to the national standards on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services, health-care organizations should ensure that patients and consumers receive from all staff members effective, understandable, and respectful care that is provided in a manner compatible with their cultural health beliefs and practices and preferred language. The population of diverse older Americans is growing in leaps and bounds. The need to deliver culturally effective patient centered care is a sentinel premise for geriatric and palliative care. The eCampus geriatrics portal was created to educate clinicians about providing culturally effective care for multi-cultural older adults.
Teaching modules, patient interview strategies, a guide on important cultural terminology, student evaluations and free full-text, peer-reviewed resources on the care of older adults from thirteen major ethnicities are among the instructional materials available through eCampus Geriatrics.
A CD/DVD edition of eCampus Geriatrics has been distributed to more than 1,000 nursing, medical and social-work schools in the U.S.
If you are interested in receiving a DVD copy of the materials, Periyakoil has graciously offered to provide free copies to the first 50 people who leave comments on this post. Please leave your name and e-mail address in the appropriate fields with your comment and we will contact you for your mailing address. Your e-mail address will not be publicly displayed and we will not share your address for any reason.
Previously: Researchers aim to extend how long – and how well – we live
Photo by Ivan Mlinaric
October 7th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
Thank you. Looking forward to reviewing the information.
October 7th, 2010 at 8:03 pm
This is a terrific idea and the Stanford Med School should be congratulated.
October 8th, 2010 at 6:26 am
What a wonderful educational tool. Thank you.
October 8th, 2010 at 6:28 am
Thank you taking this bold step in being ready to serve this exploading age group with cuturally approrpriate services. This approach honors the dignity of the individual and is more likely to get complicance when it comes to medical treatment. I am the President of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers and this approach is part of our standards.
Sincerely, Linda Fodrini-Johnson
October 8th, 2010 at 6:32 am
Rarely do physicians receive the necessary training and education in geriatric care, let along cultural specific geriatric care.
As an adult day care provider, this is a critical issue for us as well providing care in different community settings.
Are the materials geared exclusively to students or meant to be used in organizational settings as well?
Adam Griff
October 8th, 2010 at 10:59 am
Great, and necessary. I think about my own parents a good deal. There are mental health issues involved, and I worry about being able to communicate adequately with all the people who will likely be involved in helping me care for them. Spreading resources in this way is so welcome, and so needed. Thank you!
October 8th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
The eCampus Geriatrics resource can be used in a variety of ways:
1. Self-study by individuals.
2. As resource material by faculty to teach.
Healthcare organizations can optimize the provision of culturally competent care as follows:
a. Using the various zipcodes an organization serves, it is recommended that they use the www. census.gov site to analyze the ethnicity of the local population.
b. Identify the most common local ethnicities and languages.
c. Use the appropriate e-Campus Geriatrics modules to gain insight into the health issues of that specific population.
d. Ensure availability of interpreters to help patients with limited English proficiency.
e. Ensure that patient educational material is available in the relevant languages on key topics (advance directives, etc)
f. Train their staff to provide culturally competent, patient-centered care for the populations served.
Thank you,
VJ Periyakoil, MD
Stanford eCampus
October 19th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
This is a very exciting addition to our gerontological education!
Thank you, Mary Alice Wolf (fellow, AGHE)
November 2nd, 2010 at 4:18 pm
Thank you all for submitting comments. We’re collecting your email addresses and will contact you to arrange delivery of the DVD/CD set. We’re also closing this thread.
January 20th, 2011 at 6:21 pm
I am so interested in this site and work. I am allied health minoring in Gerontology.
February 13th, 2011 at 5:16 am
I work at a health spa in Florida. I took a minimed course several years ago, which really turned me onto a whole new world:-)
I would very much like to receive a DVD/CD set of your Gerontology/Geriatics course. I appreciate YOUR assistance. I would like to be able to understand more about some of the issues of our aging population. Fred