OLDER PHYSICIANS: IMPAIRED?
Many healthcare institutions and medical practices are seeing the age of practicing physicians increase as more continue to practice beyond age 65. In 2008, 11% of practicing physicians were over 65yo. That’s a reasonable percentage, but by now, 2026, a whopping 22.4% of practicing physicians are over 65yo. That’s concerns practice administrators and hospital CEO’s because some older physicians are affected by cognitive decline. Any older physician may show indications of slower reaction time, outdated knowledge, memory decline, and occasional confusion. Evaluations of senior doctors uncover declining cognitive scores that increase the liability concerns of these entities.
To be proactive for aging physicians, healthcare organizations have developed senior physician programs that evaluate the cognitive status and physical capabilities of physicians over a predetermined age. These evaluations are designed to test stamina, knowledge, and ability to ensure patients are not being treated inappropriately, and physicians are still able to do procedures properly.
A study of physicians at Yale is one example. Cognitive screening was done on 141 physicians 70 yo and older. Of these 141, “12.7% demonstrated cognitive deficits that were likely to impair their ability to practice medicine independently” Specific deficits were not listed, but having any cognitive deficit would put patients at risk, and that risk should be eliminated. The physicians identified to have cognitive deficits were given “less demanding” tasks, less complex cases, or were made to retire. Similar programs were in place at other institutions seeing that the need was greater than expected.
Unfortunately, the government’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the EEOC, sued the program for age and disability discrimination, and won, limiting the program’s effectiveness. That’s an example of safeguarding something that needed exposure, not protection.
In the future, it appears there will be more programs to regularly screen every practitioner. Tests that are simpler and faster to administer will be devised and used regularly. It will be, and should be, mandatory at a designated age. I think other practitioners, nurses, and staff must also report incidents of faltering behavior without fear of retribution. After a report, a mandatory period of evaluation is indicated. The purpose of such programs is not to hurt the practitioner, but rather to “protect our patients” from totally avoidable incidents. This problem is not going away, especially as physicians continue to practice beyond age 65. Protecting our patients from impaired physicians is just as important as any other medical decision we make.
Reference: Span P. When the Doctor Needs a Checkup Medscape 2026 February 6.
