Citation

Sinnott JD, Mahoney H, Wilkinson AS, Broomfield SJ. J. Laryngol. Otol. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of ENT, University of Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, JLO Ltd., Publisher Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/S0022215119001713

PMID

31439076

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Evidence from the literature shows that clinicians' knowledge of rules and legislation surrounding driving can often be poor. A closed-loop audit was conducted to gauge the level of driving advice given to patients with dizziness.

METHODS: The clinical notes of 100 patients referred to the vertigo clinic at a tertiary referral centre were retrospectively searched for evidence of driving advice. Education sessions were undertaken and a patient information leaflet was developed before a second cycle of the audit.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The proportion of patients having documented evidence of receiving driving advice increased from 6.3 per cent to 10.4 per cent. It is therefore clear that, despite this improvement, a significant proportion of patients' notes did not contain documentation about driving. This is likely because of many reasons, including individual interpretation by clinicians. This paper provides a reminder of the rules, and discusses their interpretation and implementation in an increasingly medicolegal environment.

Language: en

Keywords

Automobile Driving; Dizziness; Otology; Vertigo