Developing a curriculum map for suicide prevention in geriatric education. Preventing suicides among elderly

Abstract

Nowadays, using curriculum mapping is dramatically increased in planning education programs of medical faculties in the world. The aim of present study was to develop a curriculum map for geriatric education after analyzing mostly seen forensic health problems in elderly. In Izmir Forensic Group Presidency, characteristics of geriatric age group autopsies were evaluated retrospectively between January and December 2006. We identified suicide as one of the most predominant health problems and developed a curriculum map for geriatric education for prevention of elderly suicide. Analysis of the total 1595 patients, 150 (9.4%) were in the geriatric population. 95 patients (63.3%) were male (mean age 73.3±6.5), and 55 (36.7%) were women (mean age 76.2±7.2). The origins of deaths were as fallows; natural (n=67, 44.7%), suicide (n=22, 14.7%), home accidents (n=16, 10.7%), homicide (n=12, 8%), traffic accidents (n=11, 7.3%) unidentified (n=21, 14%). We gave high priority in the interest of designing a curriculum map for preventing suicide deaths in elderly. We emphasize that development of education programs for prevention of forensic geriatric deaths (suicides, accidents, etc.) will be increasingly needed in 21 th century. Development of new theories and concepts in designing education programs in the field of geriatrics has forced medical educators to update their geriatrics curriculum plans. Present study addresses how to design a curriculum map as a reference in planning medical education programs on different emerging geriatric issues.