Hospitals test older physicians on mental and physical acuity, raising questions of fairness, scientific validity and ageism
By Lucette Lagnado | The Wall Street Journal
 n February, Robert Brown received an email that left him troubled. The New Jersey hospital where the 71-year-old pediatrician was practicing informed him that doctors age 72 and older would have to take a test to assess their physical and mental health—or risk losing their privileges. “Who are they to tell me I can’t practice medicine?” he thought. He was going to fire off an angry response—then took a deep breath. Instead, he did some soul-searching about his abilities, while considering the new policy at Cooper University Health Care in Camden. What was physician competence, Dr. Brown wondered, and how could it be measured? |
Testing older physicians for mental and physical ability is growing more common. Nearly a fourth of physicians in America are 65 or older, and 40% of these are actively involved in patient care, according to the American Medical Association. Experts at the AMA have suggested that they be screened lest they pose a risk to patients. An AMA working group is considering guidelines.
