The Medical Board of Australia is seeking clinical advice on how to implement mandatory cognitive fitness-to-practice checks for doctors over the age of 70.
In its Professional Performance Framework released in November 2017 the Board proposed to require all medical practitioners to have peer review and health checks at the age of 70 and three yearly thereafter.
The Board says cognitive testing is needed for older doctors because the evidence for age-related risk of poor performance is strong and cognitive decline must be identified and addressed to keep patients safe.
“Doctors tend to retire later than many other professionals and often wish to continue to make important professional contributions as they age,” it says in a Request for Proposal released on 14 September.
“Respecting and supporting this, the Board believes it is time to also assure their continuing ability to provide safe clinical care by requiring peer review and health checks.”
To help with implementation planning, the Board is seeking “evidence-based comprehensive clinical advice to guide the development of a framework to support accessible and affordable health checks for doctors aged 70 years and older.”
It says recommendations should be practical to implement and cover questions such as: