title: Mental impairment and driving licences for elderly people--a survey among Norwegian general practitioners.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Study how GPs assess mental function when a health certificate for elderly drivers has to be issued.
  
  
  METHODS
  Postal questionnaire survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nationwide survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Random sample of 532 Norwegian general practitioners, response rate 54%.
  
  
  METHODS
  Open and closed questions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Various types of examinations and assessments are carried out in this context. More than 50% always assess mental function. Only 22% use formal mental tests, mostly when in doubt. The assessment of elderly patients for a health certificate for driving is regarded by many as a difficult problem.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a lack of uniformity in issuing a health certificate to elderly drivers, a low use of formal cognitive testing, and problems facing GPs in this context. More concrete guidelines and a formal second-line system would facilitate an objective assessment and could also alleviate the burden on the doctor.
authors.affiliation: Research Group in Geriatrics, Norwegian Health Association, Ullevaal Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Braekhus
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Engedal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001333:Automobile Driver Examination; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires