|
|
WINTER 2006 |
 |
|
H
E A L T H P R O M O T I O N
New edition of
CMA's fitness-to-drive guide ready
|
|
|
Stock Photo |
|
|
|
|
The seventh edition of the
CMA’s fitness-to-drive guide, Determining Medical Fitness to Operate
Motor Vehicles, will be available free to members next month.
|
|
|
|
By CMA Staff |
|
The seventh edition of the CMA’s
fitness-to-drive guide, Determining Medical Fitness to Operate
Motor Vehicles, will be available free to members next month.
The guide, first published in 1974, is one of the CMA’s most popular
products. The sixth edition, published in 2000, had to be reprinted
because of heavy demand.
Dr. Isra Levy, former director of the
CMA’s Office for Public Health, is not surprised by the growing
popularity. “There is more legal onus on physicians today to report
unfit drivers, there are more drivers on the road and there are more
drivers facing problems related to aging and other issues,” he said.
“What we — the CMA, our Scientific
Editorial Board and several dozen contributing experts — have done is
put all the information on driving issues that a practicing clinician
might need together in a single package.”
MDs will notice several significant
changes in the new edition:
-
For the first time, the Canadian
Medical Protective Association has provided advice on legal and risk
management issues associated with driver assessment.
-
Reflecting demographic changes, there
is an improved and expanded section on aging drivers and advice for
helping patients adjust to driving cessation.
-
Sections on assessing medical fitness
for railway and aviation workers have been added.
-
In keeping with medical and human
rights trends, there has been a shift toward a functional, rather
than diagnostic, approach to driving fitness. Levy said the editors
have also attempted to produce a more user-friendly guide by
including “alert boxes” that highlight the key information in each
of the 25 sections. The Alert Box in the section on aging states:
“Driving restrictions based solely on age are inappropriate.”
CMA members are entitled to one free copy
of the new guide, and order forms were included with the December 5
issue of CMAJ. Members may also purchase additional copies for
$27.95. For non-members, the cost will be $44.95, plus shipping and
handling. Copies may be ordered from the Member Service Centre, (888)
855-2555 or cmamsc@cma.ca
|
