Abstract
The aim of this study is to describe the predictive factors of driving cessation at 6-month follow-up in older patients discharged from a rehabilitation setting and evaluated by an occupational therapist in a multidisciplinary team. Of 95 patients, at 6-month 27.4% ceased to drive. The reasons for driving cessation were a patients’ voluntary choice (42.3%) or a choice of their family (23.1%), and only in 34.6% of the patients the license was revoked by a medical commission. In a multivariate analysis greater functional impairment—measured with the Timed Up and Go test—(OR 12.60, CI 2.74–57.89; p < 0.01) was the only predictor of driving cessation. This study shows that the ability to walk safely and independently is a significant predictor of driving cessation. The simple assessment of this factor using the TUG might be an easy screening tool to prompt a second level evaluation to accurately identify unsafe driving.
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We would like to thank Mirna Mai for her technical help with the translation during the writing process of this paper.
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Study conception and design- All authors. Acquisition of data—Pozzi, Morghen, Lucchi, Morandi. Interpretation of results—all authors. Manuscript draft- Pozzi. Critically revised the manuscript—all authors
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The local ethical committee approved the study protocol.
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All procedures performed including human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the study.
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Pozzi, C., Lucchi, E., Lanzoni, A. et al. Why older people stop to drive? A cohort study of older patients admitted to a rehabilitation setting. Aging Clin Exp Res 30, 543–546 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-017-0804-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-017-0804-x