The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #65497

Alan Briones, MD¹, Ariel Sarmiento, BA², Adam Cohen, MD³, Gisele Wolf-Klein, MD³, and Felix Silverstone, MD³. (1) Primary Care Clinic, Trigg County Hospital, 252 Main St, Cadiz, KY 42211, 270 522 0898, abriones@prodigy.net, (2) Department of Public Health, Western Kentucky University, One Big Red Way, Bowling Green, KY 42101, (3) Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care & Rehabilitation, 271-11 76th Avenue, New Hyde Park, NY 11040

OBJECTIVE: To assess a simple method of identifying the potentially impaired older driver. DESIGN: Prospective cohort. SETTING: Geriatric Clinic. PARTICIPANTS: Eleven elderly drivers. MEASUREMENTS: A six-item questionnaire based on the acronym DRIVER was administered: (1) Do you have problems reaching a new Destination? (2) Are you routinely driving below the Required speed limit? (3) Are you Irritated by critical comments made by others about your driving? (4) Have you had near misses/crashes or near traffic Violations? (5) Do you avoid driving in the Evenings? and (6) Do you have problems Reading signs? A positive screen implied three or more affirmative answers. Driving patterns and MMSE scores were obtained. Subjects and family members were interviewed after six months. Inquiries regarding violations, or adverse events were made. RESULTS: Five females, six males, mean age 76.8 (range 60-88), participated in this study. Mean MMSE score was 24.8/30 (range 14-29). Four (36.4%) of the subjects had positive screens. Two out of four positive screens reported an adverse event. All seven with negative screens had no adverse event. Sensitivity and specificity were 100 % and 77 %, respectively. Negative and positive predictive values were 100% and 50%, respectively. Subjects and their families claim that the questionnaire was helpful in fostering driver safety. CONCLUSION: The questionnaire is a sensitive tool to identify the potentially impaired older driver. More importantly, it can be a counseling tool for older drivers to become more conscientious about their driving. A larger cohort of subjects is needed to validate this tool.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to: 1)recognize the growing problem of motor vehicle related injuries involving older drivers 2)understand the role of the physician in attempting to make a compromise between driver and the public safety versus curtailment of individual’s right to drive
• recognize the need for a simple screening tool to identify the potentially impaired older driver

Keywords: Screening Instruments, Elderly

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.