The Portal of Geriatrics Online Education (POGOe) <www.pogoe.org> is a new online clearinghouse that provides those interested in geriatrics education with a single source for high-quality educational products. Funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation in a grant to the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs, POGOe will enhance the ability of physicians in training and physicians in specialties and subspecialties to meet the health care needs of older adults and aid clinician-educators in their scholarship and promotion.

Currently older adults represent only 12 percent of the United States population; however, they undergo almost one-third of the 25 million surgical procedures performed annually, and they consume about one-third of all health expenditures and fully one-half of the $140 billion annual U.S. federal health care budget.^{1, 2} By 2030 there are expected to be 70 million Americans over age 65. The implications of these numbers for anesthesiologists are considerable and underscore the need for more educational and research efforts in geriatric anesthesiology.

Several such initiatives are ongoing. “In general, geriatrics has been a cooperative model from the outset,” Jeffrey H. Silverstein, M.D., Vice-Chair and Associate Dean for Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, said recently. “Initially, it was individual anesthesiologists with an interest in geriatrics working with internists. We are now actively creating relationships, and the basic conception is that the more we share, the better care we ultimately deliver to our patients.”

POGOe offers an opportunity to share the fruits of these labors. POGOe’s educational products have been designed primarily for physicians in training and practicing physicians but have applicability to other disciplines. Products are available in many formats such as audiotapes, CD-ROMs, computer software, DVDs/VHS, overheads, paper form, personal digital assistants, pocket instructional aids, Microsoft PowerPoint presentations and Web-based products. Materials have been developed for medical students, medical and surgical house staff, practicing physicians and other learners.

Although POGOe just went “live” in April 2004, there already are several products of interest to anesthesiologist clinician-educators. Edward Vandenberg, M.D., and associates at the University of Nebraska Medical Center created six Geriatric Anesthesia Modules for Perioperative Evaluation and Management. These interactive modules were written for anesthesiology residents and cover preoperative cardiac assessment, intraoperative management, postoperative management, preanesthesia evaluation and perioperative management and intraoperative management. Brent Williams, M.D., and colleagues at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, produced “A Pocket Card on Approach to Older Patients and Common Drug Side Effects.” The front side of the pocket card is a “road map” for key components of assessment of older patients and specific assessment tools that help to accomplish each component. The reverse side of the pocket card lists physical complaints and common side effects of medications. Other geriatric anesthesia products can be found on POGOe by searching the content area “Anesthesiology” or the specific learner to be taught, e.g., medical students.

Users can directly download some products, otherwise they will be shown how to obtain the educational materials from the product’s Web site or authors. Anyone with an interest in geriatric health care and promoting the field of geriatrics among clinicians is welcome to register and use materials posted on the POGOe Web site. Some materials are free, others must be purchased. Those created through grants from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation are available for the price of duplication and shipping.

“POGOe has two major purposes,” Rosanne M. Leipzig, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of POGOe and Professor and Vice-Chair of Education at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, said of these products. “The first is to assure that clinician-educators have easy access to materials for students, trainees and practicing physicians that will enhance their ability to provide state-of-the-art care to their older patients. For this to work, we need those who have developed educational products applicable to physician training in any area of geriatrics to submit their work to us so that those responsible for medical education in places with little or no geriatrics resources will be easily able to teach how best to care for older patients. The second purpose is to provide a mechanism for clinician-educators to get credit for their educational products that can help with academic promotion.”

POGOe is actively seeking the submission of geriatric educational materials applicable to practicing physicians or physicians-in-training. Materials should have been pilot-tested with learners and revisions made based on results. Whenever possible a formal evaluation of learner satisfaction, attitudes, knowledge and/or performance should be provided as part of the submission. Authors can submit educational products at <www.pogoe.org>. All products are peer-reviewed. Peer-reviewer comments are provided to the authors along with a decision as to whether the product has been accepted or needs revision. These acceptance letters indicate that the product has passed peer review and how to reference the posting in other publications and curriculum vitae. POGOe is organized as an online journal with an editorial staff, associate editors and a prominent advisory board. Anyone interested in submitting an educational product or becoming a peer reviewer should contact POGOe’s Managing Editor Michelle A. Adams at <pogoemeditor@ mssm.edu> for more information.

“Our intent is to develop one-stop shopping for geriatric educational products that reduces duplicative effort while helping geriatric-oriented clinician-educators receive national recognition for their creative efforts, hopefully helping them to achieve promotion and remain active in teaching how to care for older adults in their discipline,” Dr. Leipzig said.

POGOe is made possible by funding from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation under its Aging and Quality of Life program <www.dwreynolds.org/Programs/National/Aging/AboutAging.htm>.


References:

1. Muravchik S. Gerontololgy: Geriatric Anesthesia — Are You Ready?
<www.ASAhq.org/clinical/geriatrics/geron.htm>. Accessed March 18, 2004.

2. Day JC. Population Projections of the United States by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1995 to 2050. Current Population Reports, Bureau of the Census, Washington, DC: US Printing Office, 1996:25. .

Michelle A. Adams is Managing Editor and Marketing and Public Relations Manager for POGOe, which is affiliated with the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programming and the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, New York, New York.