Document Detail


An analysis of an older driver evaluation program.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  15271121     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVES: To identify elements of an older driver evaluation program that predict driving performance in older adults. SETTING: Outpatient medical clinic in an academic medical center. DESIGN: A retrospective analysis. PARTICIPANTS: Six hundred sixty-four older adults who were referred to an older driver evaluation program. MEASUREMENTS: A physician trained in geriatric medicine and a clinical geriatric nurse specialist oversaw an experienced driving evaluator and an occupational therapist who conducted assessments of older persons' functional status; reaction time; driving skills; and cognitive, hearing, and vision abilities. Self-report data along with a medical history submitted by patients' primary care physicians supplemented the clinical assessments. RESULTS: A multinomial logistic regression revealed that the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), cues needed with the Trail Making Test, Part B, grip strength, and an interaction effect between the MMSE and reaction time constituted the most parsimonious model for predicting on-the-road performance. A receiver operating characteristic analysis indicated that this index had good sensitivity but low specificity. A binomial regression comparing imperfect and perfect drivers demonstrated the significance of the Traffic Sign and Visual Perception tests. CONCLUSION: Clinicians should employ a multilevel screening process that includes initial cognitive tests, such as the MMSE and the Trail Making Test, Part B, although more studies of driving evaluation programs in medical settings that include random samples of older drivers are needed.
Authors:
Bonnie Kantor; Linda Mauger; Virginia E Richardson; Kathleen Tschantz Unroe
Publication Detail:
Type:  Evaluation Studies; Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society     Volume:  52     ISSN:  0002-8614     ISO Abbreviation:  J Am Geriatr Soc     Publication Date:  2004 Aug 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2004-07-23     Completed Date:  2004-09-14     Revised Date:  2008-03-10    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7503062     Medline TA:  J Am Geriatr Soc     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  1326-30     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Office of Geriatrics and Gerontology, College of Health Sciences, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Aged*
Automobile Driving*
Cognition
Female
Hand Strength
Hearing Tests
Humans
Intelligence Tests
Male
ROC Curve
Reaction Time
Retrospective Studies
Trail Making Test
Visual Perception

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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