Kerman University of Medical Sciences International Journal of Health Policy and Management 2322-5939 14 1 2025 12 01 What Defines an Age-Friendly Health System?; Comment on “Developing a Conceptual Framework for an Age-Friendly Health System: A Scoping Review” 1 4 4816 10.34172/ijhpm.9374 EN Margaret Wallhagen Department of Physiological Nursing, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA 0000-0002-4988-2337 Journal Article 2025 08 17 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.

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