Marilyn Gugliucci participates in Society of Hospitalized Medicine initiative on Acute Care of Older Persons

Marilyn R. Gugliucci, Ph.D., professor and director of Geriatrics Education and Research, traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Society of Hospitalized Medicine (SHM) initiative on the Acute Care of Older Persons (ACOP) in Washington, D.C.  Gugliucci is the delegate for the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), within which she is the chair for the Health Sciences Section. Her work was conducted October 28-30, 2013.

The SHM is leading a project to identify uncertainties (stated in the form of research questions) about the treatment of older adult patients in the acute care setting that are important to patients, care-givers, and clinicians. The project began in May 2013, and efforts generated 1,299 questions, which were reduced to 114 questions.  The meeting in Washington, D.C., was focused on reducing the list to 10 final questions, which required rephrasing, to be used for funding consideration.

The questions focus on older adult hospitalized patients and various aspects of assessments, treatments, medication management, transitions of care, caregiver engagement, and focused outcomes.

The SHM project is supported by the Association of Specialty Professors and the John A. Hartford Foundation. Twenty national organizations were included in the initiative. Besides the GSA, select organizations include the Alzheimer’s Association, American Academy of Neurology, American College of Cardiology, American College of Surgeons, American Geriatrics Society, American Hospital Association, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, National Institutes of Health, National Alliance for Caregiver, and Society of Critical Care Medicine, among others.

The project will be completed by December 2013.

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