Short Profile - Centre of Competence for Geriatrics

In Germany 90 per cent of the population are insured under the Statutory Health Insurance scheme. The Statutory Health Insurance scheme consists of approximately 250 individual sickness funds that are united in associations at the regional state level and at the federal level. Medical Review Boards are available to the Statutory Health Insurance for assessments and consultations. They are organised on a regional state level.

The Kompetenz-Centrum Geriatrie is a combined institution of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds and its Medical Review Boards*. The centre supports this agencies of the Statutory Health Insurance by specialist consultations and assessment on questions of geriatric care. Its medical experts are independent in their conclusions and work at federal level. The Kompetenz-Centrum Geriatrie is located at the Medical Review Board North of the Statutory Health Insurance (www.mdk-nord.de)

The demographic development in Germany shows an increasing proportion of old and very old people. This and modern medical treatment options impose a large health and socio-political challenge to geriatrics. Therefore the Kompetenz-Centrum Geriatrie covers a large variety of fields and tasks. They include issues on:

• prevention
• out-patient geriatric care
• in-patient geriatric care
• geriatric rehabilitation
• long-term nursing care of geriatric patients

A special challenge for the future will be the development of integrated forms of medical care that combine the treatment sectors mentioned above in the interests of the geriatric patients.

At the present time the staff consists of two physicians with geriatric experience in different fields and a health scientist. Dr. N. Lübke is head of the institution.

The centre has access to numerous sources of scientific research used as a basis for preparing expert opinions. Work activities for the Kompetenz-Centrum Geriatrie can only be ordered by the associations of the sickness funds and their Medical Advisory Boards

The Kompetenz-Centrum Geriatrie is in particular responsible for

• expert opinions and statements about issues of geriatric treatment and structures for geriatric medical care
• obtaining specialist information on specific topics
• preparation and/or evaluation of written evidence on geriatric procedures in diagnostics, therapy, and prevention
• acting as speakers and coaches at specialist geriatric meetings and training seminars
• advice and specialist representation in health policy committees with respect to questions of geriatric care
• development and evaluation of geriatric pilot projects

The objective of the Kompetenz-Centrum Geriatrie is to contribute to the design of relevant geriatric treatment and care structures, and to the efficient use of resources in the German health system by means of professional competence and improved co-ordination.
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* This centre is an institution

• of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds [GKV-Spitzenverband]
• of the Medical Review Boards of the Statutory Health Insurance (SHI) [Medizinische Dienste der Krankenversicherung (MDK)] and

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Further informations in english are not available.