The Italian Society of Medical and Interventional Radiology (SIRM) and the Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics (SIGG) have unveiled a new intersociety initiative focused on elderly care.
Called Geriatric Radiology, the scheme was highlighted at a recent conference in Rome, with experts reiterating that it is not enough to identify typical diseases of old age early, such as osteoporosis, sarcopenia, cardiovascular, and oncological pathologies. It is equally important to avoid overdiagnosis and unnecessary invasive procedures, the SIRM said in a recent post.
In Italy today, there are over 14 million people over the age of 65, a number expected to reach 19 million in the next 20 years. This requires urgent reflection on the health system, particularly on the importance of radiology as a tool for prevention and personalized diagnosis among older people, the SIRM said.
The SIRM has already started training courses in geriatric radiology in various Italian regions and has published several papers on the topic, such as “Radiologists, focus on senior-friendly imaging for personalized prevention.”
