Preface

Current Diagnosis and Treatment: Geriatrics, 3rd edition, is written for clinicians who provide care to older persons. In the context of a rapidly aging population, clinicians are continually adapting their practice to meet the needs of their older patients. Current Diagnosis and Treatment: Geriatrics provides a framework for using a person's functional and cognitive status, prognosis, and social context to guide diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. In this edition, authors apply the principles of geriatric medicine in different care settings to address common conditions and diseases and manage common symptoms and concerns encountered by clinicians in the care of older persons.

In the first section, Principles of Geriatric Care, the authors examine how the care of older persons differs from the more disease- or organ-focused care geared toward younger persons. The introductory chapter describes the theoretical framework of geriatric care. Each subsequent chapter provides an in-depth review of fundamental components of care, including an overview of geriatric assessment and individual chapters that provide detailed information about each component of geriatric assessment. This section also includes a discussion of the intersection between geriatrics and palliative care and includes new content about caregiving, legal issues and conservatorship. This section ends with the application of evidence-based care to older adults.

Care Settings, the second section, presents the different health care system settings in which clinicians provide care to older adults. Beginning with an overview of ambulatory care and transitions of care between settings, the section focuses on the cornerstones of care for older adults in the clinic setting, in the emergency department, in the hospital, in residential and assisted living care, in nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities, and in home care settings. Also included are special situations, such as addressing the needs of older patients in the perioperative period and using technology, such as telemedicine, to enhance geriatric care.

In the third section, Common Conditions in Geriatrics, authors discuss approaches to managing medical conditions and diseases in older adults, applying and integrating the current knowledge base to guide decision making. Some of the clinical challenges included are evaluating delirium, cerebrovascular disease, and chronic lung disease; managing gastrointestinal disease and common skin disorders; and a new chapter on HIV and AIDS in older persons.

The Common Clinical Scenarios in Geriatrics section addresses some of the common symptoms and unique concerns encountered in clinical practice with older persons. Some of the common symptoms included are sleep disorders, chronic pain, lower urinary tract symptoms, and constipation. This section also includes new content on concerns such as driving safety and the use of marijuana in older persons.

The final section is Broadening Clinical Practice, which guides clinicians in treating vulnerable subpopulations of older persons (eg, those who are LGBTQ, those with low health literacy, those in the criminal justice system, and those who are homeless). This section also includes new content about the unique needs of older travelers and older immigrants. The section ends with a broader look at how clinical systems are responding to the aging population and strategies for all of us to advocate for more age-friendly health systems.

We thank our authors for their contributions to the third edition of Current Diagnosis and Treatment: Geriatrics, and we look forward to advancing the care of older persons together.