AMA creates online course doctors can use to gauge their elderly patients' driving fitness

06/04/2012

Many health professionals have elderly patients whose health has deteriorated to a point that may prevent them from driving. To help doctors determine when it may be time to take their keys away, the American Medical Association recently launched a web-based educational course that addresses the issue.<br/><br/>The program, &quot;Medical Fitness to Drive: Is your Patient at Risk?&quot; was created by the AMA in consultation with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The goal of the course is to provide doctors with the cues they need to look for in determining whether their patients&#39; medical conditions have progressed to a point that makes them a liability on the road.<br/><br/>&quot;As the number of older drivers with medical conditions expands, patients and their families will often turn to physicians for guidance on safe driving,&quot; said Peter Carmel, president of the AMA. &quot;Physicians can use the tools and information contained in this course to better address safe driving practices with their patients - promoting the safety of our patients and our roads.&quot;<br/><br/>Occasionally, a doctor may give their elderly patient the go-ahead to drive but their medical condition leads to an accident. Professional liability coverage can help hospitals defend themselves legally should they be sued for medical malpractice.