There is a serious shortage of health professionals equipped to provide the special care needed by the increased numbers of elderly. There is also a shortage of faculty needed for educating geriatrically competent professionals. Conventional instruction is unlikely to respond adequately; therefore, new educational technologies hold considerable promise for solving these problems. The ultimate goals of this project are designing, evaluating, producing, and marketing innovative, carefully researched, instructional materials comprising a Clinical Care Library in Geriatrics.This library will help health professionals gain the skills needed when caring for elderly patients. It will be composed of computer-linked simulations, using interactive videodiscs (IVD), intended to enhance the clinical skills and attitudes needed for the appropriate care of elderly patients. IVD provides learners with opportunities for repeated practice in making realistic clinical decisions and in seeing the consequences of their actions. The library will complement conventional, more expensive, instruction, accomplishing goals that are now incompletely achieved.The initial focus will be on Alzheimer's Disease, a progressive, irreversible neurological disorder affecting approxmiately 2.5 million American adults. The initial target audience will be primary care professionals; they are the main providers of geriatric care, but typically have little preparation for these responsibilities.National Institute on Aging (NIA)
