Team skills are not new, especially in geriatric care. In 2003, now President of The John A. Hartford Foundation, Dr. Terry Fulmer, led an initiative to improve interprofessional geriatric care through the Geriatric Interdisciplinary Team Training Program (GITT). This program spread across the US and promoted the use of team skills in the advancement of geriatric care. As our population ages rapidly, it is critical to integrate team skills to address the complex nature of geriatric care. This will be a challenge for professionals who are not familiar with or educated about geriatric care.
The John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF), one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the US advocating for older adults, recognizes the pressing need to ensure that all older adults receive Age-Friendly Health System (AFHS) 4Ms care. The 4Ms framework includes a simple set of evidence-based care that includes the assessment and acting on What Matters, Medications, Mentation, and Mobility. The movement funded by The JAHF initiative is coordinated by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) who has a lofty goal of reaching older adults in 3,600 hospitals, practices, convenient care clinics, and nursing homes that apply the 4Ms equitably by June 30, 2026.
Read the full blog on the International Clinician Educators website.