title: Fitness to drive - GP perspectives of assessing older and functionally impaired patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  General practitioners have expressed concern about their ability to assess patients' driving fitness. This study explores GP perspectives regarding assessing fitness to drive in older and functionally impaired patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We held face-to-face interviews with seven metropolitan GPs and a focus group with nine rural GPs. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  General practitioners were unsure whether they or driving authorities should have responsibility for assessing patients' fitness to drive; recognised that driving is important for maintaining independence; described referral to an occupational therapist as useful, and expressed concern about the lack of access to alternative forms of transport and also about privacy issues. Opinion was divided about the merits of the VicRoads Medical Report Form and the usefulness of the Austroads guide.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This qualitative study suggests that some GPs may find assessing fitness to drive to be challenging and problematic in general practice. Further resources and education could assist these GPs to increase their confidence and competence in assessing a patient's fitness to drive.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria. kay.jones@med.monash.edu.au
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Sian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rouse-Watson
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beveridge
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sims
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schattner
mesh_terms: D001334:Automobile Driving; D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D058005:General Practitioners; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*