Question

Dr. Whisky has a 72-year-old woman with progressive glaucoma in his office. Her vision is severely impaired and getting worse. Dr Whisky strongly doubt that she can read traffic signs on the highway. Dr. Whisky have repeatedly encouraged her to curtail her driving but she has not. What is Dr. Whisky's responsibility toward this patient?

A) Dr. Whisky should inform the patient that she must stop driving immediately due to safety concerns.
B) Dr. Whisky should report the patient to the Department of Motor Vehicles for a driving evaluation.
C) Dr. Whisky should continue to advise the patient to stop driving and document these discussions in the medical record.
D) Dr. Whisky should discuss alternative transportation options with the patient and involve her family in the decision-making process.

Answer 1

Dr. Whisky has several responsibilities toward the patient with glaucoma, including urging her to stop driving, reporting her to the DMV if necessary, documenting conversations, and exploring alternative transportation options with her family to ensure her safety and that of others.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the case where Dr. Whisky has a 72-year-old patient with progressive glaucoma that impairs her ability to read traffic signs, there are several steps that can be taken. However, Dr. Whisky's immediate responsibility toward this patient is ensuring her safety and the safety of others. While directly communicating the risks and the need for her to stop driving is crucial (Option A), it may also be necessary to report the patient to the Department of Motor Vehicles (Option B) if she continues to drive against medical advice, in order to protect public safety. It's also important to consistently document these conversations in her medical record (Option C). Lastly, assisting the patient with alternative transportation options and including her family in the decision-making process can provide support and help transition her out of driving (Option D).