Cognitive Assessment and Aging Physicians: Are Patients or Doctors the Ones at Risk?
The aging of our physician workforce presents a new concern for both workers and patients. Cognitive changes associated with aging can impact clinician performance. In some cases, cognitive aging progresses beyond acceptable age-associated changes into the realm of pathological aging with clinically significant performance consequences. This presentation will describe normative cognitive aging and how this impacts physician performance. We will also discuss the evolving approaches to evaluation of physicians with suspected cognitive impairment and the implications that these evaluations have for patient safety, clinician privacy, and institutional risk management.
Dr. Ellison is the Swank Foundation Endowed Chair in Memory Care and Geriatrics at Christiana Care Health System. As director of McLean Hospital’s Memory Diagnostic Clinic, he has consulted on physicians and other professionals seeking to differentiate normal cognitive aging from early cognitive impairment of clinical significance. He has assessed and treated physicians responding to institutional concerns about cognitive performance as a consultant to the Massachusetts Medical Society’s Physicians Health Service. Dr. Ellison has published on Mild Cognitive Impairment and has lectured on physician performance and cognitive aging.
The Innovative Discoveries Series, sponsored by the Delaware Clinical & Translational Science ACCEL program and the Christiana Care Value Institute, features informal presentations on topics relevant to current research and healthcare practice, led by knowledgeable and experienced presenters. There are offerings for researchers, healthcare providers, and community members of varying levels of experience.
These free talks are held Fridays at noon at Christiana Hospital but can be viewed from your home or office computer. Earn CMEs by participating in-person or online. Lunch is served and all are welcome to attend.
To see the full calendar of events, visit the Value Institute Events page or the ACCEL website, or subscribe to the ID Series mailing list.
Contact Sarahfaye Dolman at sarahfaye.f.dolman@christianacare.org with any questions.