[SUNDAY FEATURE] When are doctors too old to practice?

‘It is very upsetting that they make it difficult for me to get my hospital privileges,’ says Stanford oncologist Saul Rosenberg, 89. /PHOTO: STANFORD HEALTH CARE

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.

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