Strategies for Medical Advisory Boards and licensing review.

The objectives of this project were: (1) to document the medical review practices of Medical Advisory Boards (MABs) and other medical review units within the 51 driver-licensing agencies in the United States with respect to determining fitness to drive; and (2) to develop recommended strategies for the identification, assessment, and disposition of drivers with medical conditions and functional impairments, and related customer service goals. This information regarding medical review practices was obtained through requests of licensing officials to complete an extensive mail-back survey on behalf of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) and to participate in follow-up telephone calls with the Principal Investigator to expand their responses. Information from the telephone conversations; the written survey responses; and medical forms, guidelines, and statutes provided by survey respondents was summarized into a 5- to 10-page narrative for each of the 51 jurisdictions. A Task Report titled, Summary of Medical Advisory Board Practices in the United States, was prepared that includes the State summaries and multiple appendices presenting summary tables; this document is currently posted on AAMVA’s Web site at http://www.aamva.org. An in-depth study was also conducted to determine which activities currently applied by one or more jurisdictions deserve priority for consideration as recommended strategies and how to implement them. Two activities were undertaken to assist in this determination. The first activity involved completion of a Relative Value Assessment exercise by key licensing officials and medical staff in 45 jurisdictions. The second activity was accomplished through a 1½-day meeting with Medical Advisory Board physicians and administrative medical review unit supervisors in 11 jurisdictions to discuss recommended strategies for medical review and overcoming barriers to their implementation. This report summarizes the activities conducted in this project, and provides recommendations for recommended strategies for licensing drivers with medical conditions and functional impairments. (Author/publisher)