Physician responsibility in driver assessment.

M A Drickamer; R A Marottoli

doi:10.1097/00000441-199311000-00001

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Physician responsibility in driver assessment.

M A Drickamer·R A Marottoli

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Abstract

This study describes the present physician practice of counseling patients about driving and reporting potentially unsafe drivers. A survey was sent to all licensed general practitioners, internists, ophthalmologists, neurologists, and neurosurgeons in Connecticut. Fifty-nine percent (2,049/3,450) of eligible physicians responded to the questionnaire. Seventy-seven percent of responding physicians stated that they discussed driving with their patients and 14% reported patients to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Specialists were more likely to discuss driving. Seventy-four percent of physicians thought that after a certain age individuals should be screened for their ability to drive. Overall, 59% of physicians thought it was their responsibility to report unsafe drivers to the Department of Motor Vehicles and the primary reasons for reporting were that driver safety was a public health issue and that potentially unsafe drivers posed a risk to themselves or to others. It was concluded that physicians recognize that driving safety is an important public health issue that needs better-defined legal and medical guidelines.

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Age Factors Automobile Driving Connecticut Counseling Ethics Humans Medicine Physician's Role Physician-Patient Relations Practice Patterns, Physicians'Social Responsibility Specialization Surveys and Questionnaires Journal Article

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M A Drickamer, R A Marottoli. 1993. Physician responsibility in driver assessment.. https://doi.org/10.1097/00000441-199311000-00001

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