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Use of Fitness to Drive Screening Tool

To enable family members or friends, in the USA and Canada, to detect at-risk older drivers, Dr. Classen and colleagues, developed and tested the Fitness-to-Drive Screening Measure (FTDS), a user friendly on-line tool http://fitnesstodrive.phhp.ufl.edu/. Family members, caregivers, or friends who had driven with the driver in the last three months, may rate the drivers’ difficulties by completing 54 screening questions. After completing the questions a keyform, or rating profile, of each driver is produced which includes a classification of the driver into one of three categories: at-risk driver, routine driver, or accomplished driver. Based on the specific driver category, recommendations-- the logical next steps for family members, friends or clinicians-- are suggested for each driver. These recommendations entail guidelines for continued fitness to drive, seeking interventions, or starting conversations about stopping driving. The FTDS has been translated into Japanese and Korean with demonstrated psychometric support for the Korean version. A shorter version has been developed (32 items) with excellent predictive validity of fitness to drive outcomes. This course will discuss each of these core activities and apply content information to an actual case study.

Evidence Based Indicators of Driving Performance

This course starts by providing a background of crash statistics for the U.S and introduce the concept of crash risk and crash risk reduction. Next, we provide an overview of terminology that is used in the driving literature, specifically related to driving outcomes. The audience is further exposed to a breadth of evidence-based methods and tools to help asses an individual’s fitness to drive. These assessments include the Comprehensive Driving Evaluation, which can be subdivided in clinical assessments, driving simulator assessments, and the on-road assessment. Dr. Classen is synopsizing the factual content in this course from almost two decades of exposure to empirical evidence and best practices –all packaged to enable clinicians to practice from an evidence-based perspective.

Driving Cessation and Alternative Transportation: The Challenges and Opportunities

Occupational therapists and other healthcare professionals play an important role in helping seniors adjust to driving cessation and use of alternative transportation. This presentation provides foundational knowledge about driving and the use of alternative transportation among seniors in North America. Participants will learn about assessment and intervention tools that can be used to assist seniors transitioning to alternative transportation. Through the presentation and observation of a role play, participants will learn about key strategies to use when having these potentially challenging conversations with seniors.

The Fitness to Drive Screening Measure: Case Studies

The Fitness to Drive Screening Measure (FTDS) is a web-based questionnaire for screening senior drivers who are potentially at-risk. The FTDS is completed by a family member or caregiver of the senior driver. The results of the FTDS provide recommendations for the next steps as well as resources. However, occupational therapists who are generalists or specialists in driving rehabilitation can also use the results of the FTDS to better manage their client’s plan of care. This presentation will provide participants with an overview of the FTDS development and application. Through case studies, participants will learn how to analyze the FTDS results with clinical findings to inform their decisions about whether an on-road assessment is necessary. Participants will also learn how to use the FTDS key form results to compliment the on-road assessment and as such providing a more comprehensive treatment plan and recommendations.

Drive Focus: A Driving Intervention Tool

This course will provide an overview of the development and use of a driving intervention tool, Drive Focus. The presenter will describe the tool’s evolution from an experience with a driving rehabilitation client to a visual-cognitive training application for driving. Participants will learn of the usability and efficacy studies that have been completed with the tool. In addition, participants will learn how Drive Focus may be used with clients in an in-patient, out-patient, or driving rehabilitation practice setting.

Driving Rehabilitation: Considerations for Private Practice

This course is designed for the healthcare professional who has experience in driving rehabilitation and is considering starting a private practice. The presenter provides an overview of information that needs to be gathered in order to make an informed decision about pursuing private practice. Participants will learn about business tools and strategies to guide their decision. In addition, the course includes a spreadsheet to create a financial plan for a driving rehabilitation practice.

Case Study: Driving and Parkinson’s Disease

Through a case study, this course will provide an example of a comprehensive driving evaluation for an individual with Parkinson’s disease. Participants will learn how to utilize clinical findings to interpret on road driving performance while taking into account the individual’s context and environment when making fitness to drive recommendations. In addition, participants will be introduced to intervention strategies that may support individuals with Parkinson’s disease to continue to drive.

Predicting Simulated Driving Performance in Teens with ADHD/ASD

In this course, the authors introduce the crash statistics and characteristics of teens in general, as well as those with ADHD and ASD. Using clinical tests, driving performance videos of teens in a driving simulator, and statistical analysis, the authors propose indicators of readiness to drive for teens at large, and for those with ADHD and/or ASD.

Case Study of Driving Readiness: Comparing a Teen with ADHD/ASD to a Healthy Control

In this course, readiness to drive is assessed for a teen with a dual diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) compared to a healthy control, using indicators such as medical history, clinical testing, life skills, and simulated driving performance results. Using this case study and a decision tree, the author interprets how these indicators can guide a therapist to determine readiness for driving. The course also explores how to prepare teens, not yet ready to drive, for independence in community mobility and future driving.