# What Defines an Age-Friendly Health System? Comment on "Developing a Conceptual Framework for an Age-Friendly Health System: A Scoping Review"

## TL;DR

This commentary discusses the concept of an age-friendly health system and questions its definition and integration into a life-span health perspective.

## Contribution

Raises critical questions about the operationalization and essential components of age-friendly health systems.

## Key findings

- The concept of age-friendly environments is not new but lacks consistent operationalization.
- There is limited data on outcomes related to age-friendly health systems.
- Debate remains about the key components of age-friendly environments.

## Abstract

To address some of the changing needs of the increasing number of older adults, theories and conceptual frameworks designed to make environments and healthcare settings more welcoming to, and supportive of, older adults, have been proposed. Most recently, significant attention has been given to the concept of an "age-friendly health system." While the concept of age-friendly environments is not new, how such environments are operationalized varies, few data are available on outcomes, and there remains debate about the essential nature of key components of an age-friendly environment. This commentary discusses the conceptual framework proposed by Karami and colleagues published in the 2023 edition of the International Journal of Health Policy and Management. Questions are raised about the meaning of age-friendly and how it can be integrated into a life-span perspective of health.