Sherrilene Classen

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.

The University of Florida International Center honored a College of Public Health and Health Professions faculty member and several graduate students during International Education Week, held November 12 to 16. Shabnam Medhizadah, a doctoral student in the rehabilitation science program who hails from Canada, was awarded with a certificate of excellence.

To address the need for affordable and accessible transportation, the Florida’s Department of Transportation (FDOT) Safety Office awarded the Institute for Mobility, Activity, and Participation at the University of Florida a grant which provides an alternative transportation database, and an interactive mapping website, for identifying transportation solutions for aging road users.

Under the leadership of Dr. Sherrilene Classen and Dr. Sandra Winter, and in collaboration with the University of Florida T-2 center, the Department of Occupational Therapy has received a Florida Department of Transportation grant to develop a computer based-training (CBT) program for teens.

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.

Dr. Sherrilene Classen receives the Scholarship Award for outstanding scientific and leadership contributions from the Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists.

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 (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.

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.

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.