“Most older drivers are very safe drivers. This tool would only be used when there are genuine medical concerns about someone’s ability to drive.” -Dr. Shawn MarshallA five-minute questionnaire could help doctors start a conversation with older adults who have medical conditions that may affect their ability to drive. Developed by a team led by Dr. Shawn Marshall, the Candrive risk stratification tool evaluates cognitive and physical skills important for driving and ranks drivers based on their risk of having an at-fault crash.
Most older people rank as low risk, but those at high risk are five times more likely to have an at-fault crash than other drivers their age. The tool’s findings could prompt discussions about driving modifications, skills training, additional assessment or preparing for driving retirement.
The tool published in The Journals of Gerontology was developed using data from 928 Canadian drivers aged 70 and older who agreed to install special tracking technology in their cars and undergo regular assessments over seven years.
The tool is now being validated using similar data from Australia. The researchers are also testing how it performs in doctors’ offices. See story in the uOttawa Gazette.
“Most older drivers are very safe drivers. This tool would only be used when there are genuine medical concerns about someone’s ability to drive.” -Dr. Shawn Marshall, Head of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at The Ottawa Hospital and professor at the University of Ottawa.
Authors: Shawn Marshall, Michel Bédard, Brenda Vrkljan, Holly Tuokko, Michelle M Porter, Gary Naglie, Mark J Rapoport, Barbara Mazer, Isabelle Gélinas, Sylvain Gagnon, Judith L Charlton, Sjaan Koppel, Lynn MacLeay, Anita Myers, Ranjeeta Mallick, Tim Ramsay, Ian Stiell, George Wells, Malcolm Man-Son-Hing
Funding: This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Additional support was provided by the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, the University Health Network, and the University of Manitoba.
The Ottawa Hospital is a leading academic health, research and learning hospital proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa and supported by The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.
