Educating doctors on evaluation of fitness to drive: impact of a case-based workshop

In 2004, faced with demographic data predicting large increases in the number of older drivers within a relatively short period combined with the realization that screening for driver fitness was largely dependent on health professionals, principally physicians, the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) initiated measures to achieve better cooperation with the health professionals performing the screening. A continuing medical education (CME) program was initiated to improve the health professionals' understanding of road safety considerations. This article describes the program and its impact.

A 90-minute workshop combining presentation and discussion methods and centering on five case studies was developed and delivered to 824 participants. Outcomes were evaluated at the levels of satisfaction and performance.

Participants reported a high level of satisfaction with the workshop. Data suggest that there was an increase in the number of reports submitted by physicians. The quality of physician reports also improved.

SAAQ statistics show the benefit of its CME program. Informed physicians appear more willing to report drivers with medical problems affecting driver fitness, especially when they are asked to provide functional evaluations and not make decisions about fitness to drive. We believe that the success of this program was due to several factors: (1) its clinical rather than administrative orientation, (2) the use of physicians to deliver the workshop, and (3) formal recognition of the program by the authority responsible for licensing physicians.