A Geriatics Curriculum Needs Assessment for Dermatology Residents

Geriatric patients comprise a large proportion of general dermatologic visits, and this number is expected to grow. They have different medical and psychosocial needs compared to younger adults. Failing to address these needs could result in patient safety issues or inappropriate care. There is variability in geriatrics training across medical schools, and there are no standardized requirements for dermatology residency programs. This needs assessment investigated what dermatology programs currently teach about geriatrics, which topics are important and could be expanded, and barriers and solutions to implementing geriatrics curriculum. The study design was cross-sectional. Data were triangulated across a variety of sources: content analysis of standardized and proprietary teaching artifacts from several institutions, semistructured interviews of teachers and learners, and surveys of the interviewed subjects about which topics are taught or could be expanded. We recruited 14 participants from five institutions using purposive sampling. No program has performed a needs assessment about geriatrics.   The informal and formal geriatrics curricula varied among the five programs. Most geriatrics content emphasized medical knowledge recall. The broad topics that were felt to be important to teach largely overlapped with what was currently taught: diagnosing and treating skin pathology in older adults, treating older adults holistically, cosmetic dermatology and benign findings in older adults. However, cosmetic dermatology appeared to be overrepresented. Most participants felt that geriatrics education overall could be formalized and expanded. Several barriers and potential solutions for expanding geriatric dermatology were identified. This study demonstrated educational gaps within existing dermatology curricula. This information can help residency programs and specialty organizations create benchmarks of what should be taught about geriatrics and guide the development of teaching materials. In order to promote geriatric dermatology education, the perceived benefits and importance of implementing such curriculum must outweigh opportunity costs. This study might also inform broader curriculum evaluation, rebalance, and renewal for other potentially unmet societal and patient population needs that could be addressed.