Dr. Cristina Shenvi is joined today by a panel to explore Geriatric Emergency Medicine (GEM) from a global perspective. As the global population ages, the importance of GEM and its continued development as a subspecialty becomes increasingly evident. This episode will examine the unique challenges that arise as GEM evolves and how different healthcare systems are adapting to meet these challenges. The panel will also discuss innovative practices and solutions that have emerged in their respective countries to advance GEM and improve care for elderly patients.

The expert panel features three distinguished guests: Dr. Mohd Idzwan Zakaria (@prof_idzwan), a senior consultant and professor of Emergency Medicine at University Malaya in Malaysia, specializing in innovative approaches to managing older patients; Dr. Rosa McNamara (@rosaMcNamara), a consultant at St. Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, and GEM Special Interest Group Chair for the International Federation for Emergency Medicine, with extensive expertise in GEM and medical education; and Dr. Rasha Buhumaid (@Rbuhamaid), an Emergency Physician in Dubai, UAE, President of the Emirates Society for Emergency Medicine, working in both public health and private practice, and an Assistant Professor at Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

• GEM is an emerging subspeciality, and in not yet recognized as a specialty in many parts of the world. This makes training and funding for GEM initiatives more difficult.
  • In Europe, increasing demand for EM in the older age group as this population grows may help drive development of GEM.
  • In Malaysia, while emergency care may be established, the scarcity of geriatricians means GEM is not yet as well-developed.
• Cultural variations significantly impact discharge planning of elderly patients.
  • In Ireland, multigenerational family units are less common, and this complicates discharge planning due to a lack of informal care.
  • In the UAE, care planning heavily involves the family and shared decision making is essential.
• Current systems may not be equipped to deal with the multiple issue that geriatric patients often present with, which complicates care planning, especially within acute care.
• A variety of innovations have been developed in these countries tailored to the unique cultural contexts and specific needs of each region.
  • Mobile clinics in the UAE help to reach the senior population at home, allowing access to care while retaining respect and dignity.
  • Emergency department in the home in Ireland helps reach patients who otherwise may not come into the ED.
  • Transitional care step-down facilities in Ireland divert patients who may not need emergent care, increasing capacity in the ED for those who do.
  • Virtual ward teams in Malaysia led by geriatricians, enable remote assessment, management and monitoring of patients.