Physician and Family Discussions about Driving Safety: Findings from the LongROAD Study

Abstract

on behalf of the LongROAD Research Team Background: Older adult drivers may experience decreases in driving safety with age or health status change. Discussing driving safety may help them plan for driving restriction and eventual cessation. Here, we sought to examine conversations between older adults and their family members and physicians. Methods: In this multi-site cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the AAA Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) cohort study, we measured the prevalence and characteristics of family and physician driving discussions. We examined associations between having driving discussions and participant characteristics using multivariate logistic regression. Results: Of 2990 current drivers aged 65 to 79 years (53% female, 85.5% White), only 14.2% reported discussing driving safety with family and 5.5% had discussions with physicians. Men (adjusted OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.66) and those with Master's degrees or higher (adjusted OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.27 to 2.13) more often had family discussions. Those with at least a Master's degree were also more likely to speak with their physician (adjusted OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.17 to 2.68). Conclusion: Few older adults had driving safety conversations with their family or physicians. Practical and effective interventions are needed to engage family and physicians in assisting older adults with risk assessment and driving cessation planning to maintain mobility and well-being. (

Medications and traffic accidents involving older drivers: do Spanish primary healthcare physicians know enough?

“…Other studies have also found that physicians rarely discussed driving or TA risks with their older patients [ 37 ]. For example, a 2019 study by Betz et al noted that only 29% of older people included in the LongROAD study cohort had had conversations with their doctor about medication use, driving, and related topics [ 26 ]. However, a study in Switzerland by Sebo et al found that 96% of all FD often or always asked their older patients who drove about the list of their current medications, 88% inquired about their use of antidiabetic drugs, and 65.5% asked patients about their use of psychotropic drugs [ 25 ].…”

“…However, few studies of FD or of older patients have focused on factors related with medication use and TA. The relatively few studies published to date have centred on how frequently FD ask their older patients about the use of medications that might affect their driving, and on whether FD offer these patients advice regarding the risk of driving while using these drugs [ 22 – 26 ]. In Spain, unfortunately, there appear to be no studies of the association between medications and the risk of TA among older drivers.…”

Factors influencing changes in medication-taking and driving behavior after warnings about prescription medications that prohibit driving: an online survey

“…To achieve this, healthcare professionals must fully understand the social environment of the patient and their family and ensure an environment amenable to advice-seeking by patients. Research into communication between healthcare professionals and elderly drivers has identified that persuasive messaging includes elements of trust, emotion, and context [33] and that it takes time for patients to relinquish driving [34]. A study on safe driving among older drivers, families, and physicians also revealed that very few older drivers discussed safety practices with their families, which was consistent with participants' living environment [35].…”

Implementing Practice Changes in Family Medicine to Enhance Care and Prevent Disease Progression

“…This study was based on the Ͼ10% of adults who responded positively to 1 question on worry about paying rent or mortgage over the past year. However, Betz et al 11 report that driving safety does not seem to be a priority for aging adults, their physicians, or their families.…”