Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan: Creating a modern, sustainable and humane elderly care ecosystem

Vietnam has shifted from an acute, infectious disease model to a chronic, multi-morbidity model, with the elderly at the center of that transition.

Not only do they carry a burden of overlapping diseases, but they are also a population group that requires more sophisticated, humane and scientific care: comprehensive rehabilitation care, nutritional and psychological support, functional and risk management, and the need to improve quality of life for the rest of their lives.

Prof. Dr. Tran Van Thuan - Deputy Minister of Health emphasized this information at the workshop " Developing the Geriatrics profession - Geriatrics Forum from research to clinical practice " held today (November 21) in Hanoi .

Prof. Dr. Tran Van Thuan - Deputy Minister of Health emphasized: Vietnam has shifted from an acute, infectious disease model to a chronic, multi-pathological disease model, with the elderly at the center of that transition.

Towards preserving function and prolonging healthy life for the elderly

According to the Deputy Minister of Health, these changes force us to strongly shift our thinking from "disease treatment" to "health management" thinking, from a single-sectoral approach to an interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral, and evidence-based approach.

This is the spirit set forth in Resolution No. 72, with key directives related to elderly care, namely: Developing elderly care facilities; Continuing to improve the rehabilitation service system; effectively combining medical facilities and elderly care facilities, or 'Each province and centrally-run city has a geriatric hospital or a general hospital with a geriatric department'.

These directives are clear evidence of the strategic vision of the Party and State, and at the same time are the compass for the health sector to restructure the Geriatrics sector in a modern, integrated and sustainable direction.

Considering that the workshop program focuses on issues that clinical teams face every day: cardiovascular, renal - urinary, bone and joint diseases, metabolic disorders, balance disorders, risk of falls, multi-morbidity care and rehabilitation interventions, Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan emphasized: These are disease areas that cannot be considered separately, but need to be integrated into a comprehensive care model, where each clinical decision is not only aimed at treating symptoms, but also towards preserving function, maintaining autonomy and prolonging healthy life for the elderly.

It is necessary to develop and standardize a comprehensive geriatric assessment system in examination and treatment.

From the perspective of state management and policy making, Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan emphasized a number of strategic priorities that the sector needs to pay attention to and implement synchronously. The first of which is to develop and standardize a comprehensive geriatric assessment system in examination and treatment.

"This is not just a tool, but an approach philosophy. It allows us to see the elderly as a whole: physical - mental - nutritional - functional - social. Putting this tool into the periodic health check-up process, integrating it with electronic health records and making it mandatory in the management of the elderly will create the foundation for a proactive and predictive care model," said Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan.

At the same time, build a continuous care network, connecting all levels, not allowing any elderly person to be "interrupted" in care. From the grassroots health system to provincial and central hospitals, a seamless care chain is needed, with a clear roadmap: screening - treatment - rehabilitation - long-term care - end-of-life care. This is not only a professional requirement but also a measure of the civilization of the health system.

At the same time, we need a breakthrough in geriatric human resources. We need a strong enough force of experts to shoulder the growing demand. This requires expanding the training of geriatric residents, standardizing geriatric-oriented training for general practitioners, and enhancing the role of nurses, rehabilitation technicians, nutritionists, psychologists and social workers.

"There cannot be a modern Geriatrics specialty without a professional and properly trained human resource ecosystem" - Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan emphasized.

Conference scene.

The Ministry's leaders also noted the strong application of digital technology, artificial intelligence and big data. In the context of national healthcare digitalization, the elderly must be the group that benefits the most: standardized electronic health records, early warning systems, remote consultation and monitoring platforms, risk prediction algorithms, etc. All of these will help doctors make more accurate decisions and help the elderly access services more conveniently.

Along with the above solutions, Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan stated that it is necessary to promote scientific research, build a system of clinical guidelines and specialized quality measurement indicators. Research must become the driving force for development. Multi-center research, specific epidemiological research, research on aging and risk prediction are the foundation for building policies, allocating resources and designing appropriate intervention models for the elderly in Vietnam.

According to Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan, in the process of reforming and perfecting the health system, the Geriatrics profession is facing the opportunity to affirm its core role in the national strategy on elderly care. This is not only a professional task, but also a demonstration of the responsibility of the medical profession towards the generation that has devoted their lives to the country.

"With the dedication, intelligence and sense of responsibility of scientists, doctors, nurses and professional units, we will together create a modern, sustainable and humane elderly care ecosystem, as expected by the Party, State and People" - Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan emphasized and said: The Ministry of Health will continue to accompany, support and create favorable conditions for the Geriatrics profession to develop in the right direction, making practical contributions to the cause of people's health care.

Source: https://suckhoedoisong.vn/thu-truong-tran-van-thuan-kien-tao-he-sinh-thai-cham-soc-nguoi-cao-tuoi-hien-dai-ben-vung-va-nhan-van-169251121210931014.htm