Helping Eye Care Providers Better Assess Driving in Older Adults

Drivers over age 65 are the fastest-growing segment of the driving population, and their eye care providers -- ophthalmologists and optometrists -- are playing an increasingly important role in assessing their ability to drive safely.

Many eye care providers (81 percent) stress that certain resources -- driving assessment guidelines, clinical screening instruments and a patient self-evaluation tool -- would help them in assessing the driving capabilities of their senior patients, and help to address higher accident rates for older drivers.

"We've identified a need and a desire on the part of vision care professionals to help," says Dr. Musch, who cites research indicating that when seniors lose the ability to drive, there are consequences. These individuals have higher rates of depression and social isolation, more limited access to health care services, and are more likely to need long-term care. "Our goal is to intervene and work with our patients in modifying their driving habits. This will allow them to drive appropriately and maintain their independence," he says.

While most eye care providers feel confident in their ability to determine whether vision is adequate for safe driving, few consider themselves the most-qualified professional to identify unsafe drivers. Only a small number of eye care providers (8 percent) communicate driving concerns with the patient's primary care physician or refer patients to driving rehabilitation specialists or driving school. And, when asked about reporting unsafe drivers, some common concerns were negative impact on the doctor-patient relationship, liability issues, doctor-patient confidentiality and patient's quality of life.

Still, eye care providers are among the most important professionals in seniors' health care, and they need to be on the lookout for seniors who may need special attention, says Dr. Musch. Identifying and providing effective resources to eye care providers to aid them in evaluating and assisting patients is the next step in the process, he adds.

ScienceDaily (Aug. 22, 2011)

Additional authors include Brenda Gillespie, Ph.D., Nancy K. Janz, Ph.D., Rebecca Leinberger, M.P.H., and Leslie M. Niziol, M.S.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided byUniversity of Michigan Health System.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.