AGS Conference Wrap-Up

American Geriatrics Society Going Strong at 75

By Barbara Worthington

This year’s American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Annual Scientific Meeting focused on the celebration of the society’s diamond jubilee. One of the highlights of the observation was the presentation by James T. Pacala, MD, MS, AGSF, who reviewed the 75-year history of AGS from its founding through the years to the present. His clever chronicling of the society reminisced through songs, styles, and headlines of the decades since the society’s 1942 launch, complete with changes in headgear and hairstyles symbolizing the trends characteristic of the various decades.

He spoke of some of the pioneers in geriatrics care and the giants in the field who advanced geriatrics education and practice since 1942. He recounted the changes that the introduction of Medicare and Medicaid produced and recognized the evolution of interprofessional geriatrics care that now includes not only physicians but also nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, and others. With nearly 6,000 current members, the AGS encompasses providers in all 50 states.

More than 2,500 health care professionals at the conference explored aspects of geriatric care, including clinical innovations, quality improvements, epidemiology, ethics, geriatric medicine, clinical trials, and case studies. The conference featured hundreds of symposia on topics such as the safe use of direct oral anticoagulants in older adults; alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use among older adults; controversies related to implementation of the Beers Criteria; providing high quality dementia care; elder abuse; oral health; osteoporosis; palliative care; management of depression and anxiety; and innovations in long term care.

One of the spotlight presentations centered on deprescribing, which has taken a prominent position on geriatricians’ radar. It involves the systematic review of patients’ medications and a concerted effort to eliminate unnecessary medications and/or reduce dosages of medically necessary medications.

Topics among the many posters on display included reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome and its frequent misdiagnosis as stroke, the importance of oversight in handing off elderly patients, resuming driving after subacute care rehabilitation, an advance care planning discussion guide, and the importance of death certificates’ accuracy.

Companies populating the exhibit hall included those displaying technological tools to address the challenges of geriatric patients such as wearables and remote patient monitoring, digital analytics for fall risk, hospice and palliative care organizations, and decision support tools for prescribers to optimize medication regimens.

— Barbara Worthington is editor of Today’s Geriatric Medicine.