Beyond caring: the challenge to geriatrics.

Geriatrics has established itself in the past decade as a recognized part of health care, but several issues remain unsolved about its place in the system. It has been addressed as both an approach to primary care of the elderly and a specialty in its own right. It relies excessively on the technology of assessment. Although geriatrics responds to a pervasive need for coordinating clinical and social care for a subset of the elderly, its potential contributions to this challenge have not yet been well modeled. As it comes of age, there is a need for greater conceptual clarity and a series of demonstrations that its abilities fit the needs identified.