Should Late Career Physicians Undergo Mandatory Testing to Evaluate Competency

Saturday, September 28, 2024

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM EDT

Location: MBCC, 235-237

CME/MOC Credit: 1

Disclosure(s):

John W. Werning, MD, DMD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

David M. Cognetti, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Carol R. Bradford, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Carl H. Snyderman, MD, MBA:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Thirty percent of all physicians in the United States (U.S.) are 65 years of age or older. Calls for increased accountability by the public have resulted in the implementation of age-based screening programs by some health care systems and regulators. However, these screening programs are controversial because their ability to predict a clinician’s subsequent quality of care has not been proven. In addition, while aging is a risk factor for cognitive impairment, the association between specific cognitive deficits and physician practice performance remains ill-defined. In 2020, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against Yale New Haven Hospital Inc., alleging that mandatory age-based testing of physicians violates the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. The outcome of this federal whistleblower lawsuit will establish a precedent for competency testing of physicians nationwide. The presenters in this seminar will debate the merits of age-based physician competency testing, highlighting its potential impact on patient care and physicians’ careers as well as the size of the physician workforce.

Learning Objectives:

Explain the various factors that impact physician competence and practice performance.
Examine the arguments for and against age-based competency testing.
Recognize the importance of developing guidelines and methods of screening and assessment of physician competency to ensure the provision of safe and effective care for patients.

Moderator(s)

John W. Werning, MD, DMD

Otolaryngologist
ProMedica Physician Group
Sylvania, OH, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Panelist(s)

David M. Cognetti, MD

Professor and Chair
Thomas Jefferson Univ Hosp
Penn Valley, PA, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
CB

Carol R. Bradford, MD

Dean and Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Columbus, OH, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Carl H. Snyderman, MD, MBA

Professor
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Pittsburgh, PA, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.