Talking to older patients about driving is a challenge for docs

By Kathryn Doyle (Reuters Health) - - Many people expect, or hope, that the family doctor will intervene to help take away the car keys from an unsafe older driver, but doctors and clinic staff say these are hard conversations to have and they need more resources. “Doctors are often called on to help make decisions about driving, because they understand a person’s medical conditions and medications and how these affect driving,” but many older adults prefer to hear advice from family, friends or driving specialists, said lead author Dr. Marian E. Betz of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora. On the whole, older drivers are generally safe drivers and do not pose a menace to the community around them, she stressed. “It’s also hard to talk about if there aren’t great alternatives to offer – either because there aren’t good transportation alternatives or because the doctor or family doesn’t know where to find them,” she said.



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