Pros and Cons of State Licensing and Renewal of Medical Advisory Board Practices - Case Study Example

The study presents the advantages and disadvantages of acquiring a driver’s license in Alabama and Montana. It also describes the composition of the driving administrative board in both aforementioned states which includes the details regarding the driving administrative boards, together with the clauses and their limitations. These information are then compared with the licensing agency in the State of Massachusetts where recommendations for such are specified at the end of the research study. The Pros and Cons of State Licensing and Renewal on Medical Advisory Board Practices Alabama One of the many favorable aspect with the state licensing and renewal in the State of Alabama is that the driver administering board in the form of the DPS or Department of Public Safety is comprise of members that embodies various medical occupations such as optometrist, psychiatrist, physicians who specialize in different medical fields, etc. (Summary of Medical Advisory Board Practices in the United States, 2003). Integrated in this actuality is that the members of the Department of Public Safety are volunteers who are nominated and appointed by the Director of Public Safety. The board members’ identities are known to the public; however they are immune from legal action (Summary of Medical Advisory Board Practices in the United States, 2003). Another fine thing about the DPS is that deliberations and records which are done and made by the board respectively are not disclosed and remain confidential except in situations where the driver requests a copy and reports are used for evidence in court proceedings (Summary of Medical Advisory Board Practices in the United States, 2003). The Board advises the DPS on issues about vision standards and medical criteria for licensing; it supports the development of standardized, medically acceptable forms; it similarly updates the licensing agency about researches made for medical fitness to drive with the inclusion of procedures and guidelines. Generally, the Board physicians carry out paper reviews and sometimes evaluate the abilities considered necessary to drive safely, in particular when an appeal is currently ongoing. As such the licensing decision is generally based on the recommendations of the entire Board, by a single member or by a division of the Board members. And to make their work well-organized, the DPS uses an automated medical records system and an automated workflow system (Summary of Medical Advisory Board Practices in the United States, 2003). The disadvantages of the state licensing and renewal in the State of Alabama are: The licensing agency does not make available specialized training for its personnel on how to detect applicants for conditions that weakens their ability to operate a motor vehicle safely. Specialized training is not also given for licensing personnel in-charge of older drivers. In congruence to the foregoing, public information and educational materials which gives explanation about the significance of being fit in order to drive, that includes details about impairments which adds to the hazard of car crash are not furnished to older drivers (Summary of Medical Advisory Board Practices in the United States, 2003). Further, the Department of Public Safety does not offer counseling to drivers who have functional impairments, neither are drivers referred to any external source for counsel that follows licensing restriction or cancellation, which generally is a basis for a change of lifestyle (Summary of Medical Advisory Board Practices in the United States, 2003). Montana In the State of Montana the following factors are considered to be in favor of the MVD – Montana’s state licensing agency (Summary of Medical Advisory Board Practices in the United States, 2003): Original as well as renewal applicants are required by the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) under the Department of Justice to provide answers regarding their medical condition when they fill-up the licensing application forms. Applicants who answer “yes” on the any of the questions on the said form will have to be examined by their own physician. A Driver Medical Evaluation form must be filled-out by a physician who provides the diagnosis and state whether the condition in question is improving, stable or worsening and among other explanations regarding the patient’s condition. The physician should likewise have to specify based on his or her medical judgment if the condition would get in the way of the safe operation of a motor vehicle; and if any driving restriction or adaptive equipment are optional (Summary of Medical Advisory Board Practices in the United States, 2003). Another plus factor for the MVD is the implementation of a vision exam where the driver is required to have a 20/40 with both eyes together with or without the aid of lenses or glasses. The license is revoked by the examiner until the applicant/s has tried to have vision improvement by a vision specialist. Crashes with fatality will likewise require a re-evaluation including those licenses which have expired past 90 days (Summary of Medical Advisory Board Practices in the United States, 2003). An additional advantage for applicants renewing or applying for a driver’s license in Montana is that drivers with dementia are allowed to drive in the state provided they pass the written and road tests, which includes positive physician report. In part, the licensing agency has an appeal process for drivers whose driving privilege is suspended or limited due to medical conditions or functional impairments. And counseling is provided to drivers who have functional impairments to assist them with the adjustment of their driving habits that will either restrict or stop their driving freedom. To optimize the licensing agency’s capacity through their workforce, a specialized training is provided through a policy manual to facilitate personnel evaluation of applicants’ condition (Summary of Medical Advisory Board Practices in the United States, 2003). The cons of the state licensing and renewal in the State of Montana are: The MVD has provided a self-evaluation for older drivers that would instruct them on the significance of being fit to drive before, but currently the self-evaluation process is currently not made available. Additionally, the licensing agency uses an automated workflow system but does not use an automated medical records system (Summary of Medical Advisory Board Practices in the United States, 2003). Montana’s licensing agency does not have a Medical Board Advisory and the Administrative Staff does not also have any medical background. Sole discretion is done by using a policy manual and on the job training which incorporates having to consult the drivers’ physicians for any pertinent medical information (Summary of Medical Advisory Board Practices in the United States, 2003). Comparison and Contrast of Alabama and Montana State Licensing and Renewal Policies with the State of Massachusetts Massachusetts’s Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) has a medical advisory board who are physicians like the members of the medical advisory board of the State Of Alabama. Said members are likewise appointed by the licensing agency with the approval of the Commissioner for the Department of Health. Relatively, while the medical board members of Alabama have legal immunity, identities of members of Massachusetts’s MAB are also made public but are not immune from legal action (Summary of Medical Advisory Board Practices in the United States, 2003). Like Montana, Massachusetts has an application form where if the driver answers positively to either question, he or she must present a medical clearance from his or her respective physician. The vision acuity requirement is also 20/40 with or without glasses. Similar to Alabama’s regulation, crashes in Massachusetts that results to fatality will be re-evaluated by the Medical Affairs Branch; and drivers who suffer from dementia are permitted to carry on with their driving privileges provided that a medical clearance is given by their physician (Summary of Medical Advisory Board Practices in the United States, 2003). Moreover, an appeal process similar to Montana is given to drivers whose driving privileges are either limited or suspended due to the “medical conditions or functional impairments. Additionally the licensing agency of Massachusetts does not offer counseling/advise to drivers who are physically impaired unlike in Montana, the MVD provides counseling to help drivers adjust with their driving inclination (Summary of Medical Advisory Board Practices in the United States, 2003). Massachusetts’s licensing agency does not provide specialized training for its staff to detect/observe applicants with impairments that would impede the safe operation of a vehicle. Such training is likewise not provided in Alabama. And unlike in Alabama and Montana’s licensing agencies, Massachusetts’s RMV has an automated medical record system but does not use an automated workflow system. Alabama uses both while Montana employs the automated workflow system but not the automated medical record system (Summary of Medical Advisory Board Practices in the United States, 2003). Recommendations for Massachusetts’s Licensing and Renewal Agency The licensing agency of Massachusetts must take up definite medical guidelines related to diabetes so individuals who have such condition could appropriately relate on how to go about his or her application or renewal for a driver’s license (American Diabetes Association, n.d.). Also a specialized training must be provided for the staff and personnel of Massachusetts’s state licensing agency regarding the ability to observe if an applicant has an impairment that would affect his or her capability to safely operate or drive a vehicle; as this will make the decision to issue or withhold a driving license more sound and appropriate. Last but not the least, an automated workflow system in addition to its automated medical records system must be implemented to make work and information dissemination quick and efficient. Reference List American Diabetes Association. (n.d.). Massachusetts. Retrieved on March 9, 2009, from http://www.diabetes.org/advocacy-and-legalresources/discrimination/drivers/pvt-Massachusetts.jsp Summary of Medical Advisory Board Practices in the United States. (2003). Retrieved March 9, 2009 from http://www.biopticdriving.org/repository/main/drvsummary ofmedicaladvisoryboardpractices.pdf Read More