Because of concerns about the potentially compromised ability of older clinicians, the Medical Executive Committee at Yale New Haven Hospital (New Haven, Connecticut) elected to require a neurologic and ophthalmologic examination of all applicants for reappointment to the medical staff who are aged 70 years or older.
An advisory committee of members of the medical staff recommended that the neurologic examination be replaced by an objective evaluation of cognitive function, sponsored by the hospital. The group determined that this evaluation would be the most effective method of assessing potential impairment in older clinicians.