Should Aging Physicians Be Required to Undergo Cognitive Testing? Three Experts Weigh In

Drexel University College of Medicine Professor Robert Sataloff, along with University of Washington, Seattle Professor E. Patchen Dellinger and Parkchester Medical Services' David Weiss offer their views on the need for cognitive testing for aging doctors, reports Monthly Prescribing Reference . "There is no good system to assess physicians' competency, and there are no good data to guide us," Sataloff admits. He continues that "it seems as though hospital systems are beginning to use cognitive tests just because they exist, but there is no valid way to know how to use the results." Dellinger, meanwhile, notes that discussions have been conducted on "developing a program where physicians are tested beginning early in their career and then tested sequentially to see over time how their cognitive and physical performance compared with their own cognitive and physical performance in previous years." He stresses that "we don't want these tests to be burdensome to physicians who are already completing regular tests for MOC maintenance of certification, although these tests of cognitive and physical abilities are quite different." Weiss argues that hospitals need to monitor all physicians of any age and have quality measures and oversight implemented. "Clinicians should also take steps if they see that a colleague is beginning to show signs of age-related decline — but again, peer responsibility applies to any age," he recommends.