Development of standard methods to evaluate driving among older individuals with and without disabilities: a collaborative research project

Resumo

Populations are growing older in countries throughout the world. With aging many individuais begin experiencing secondary health conditions. Those who acquire a disability later in life are also more likely to survive due to medical advancements and engage in driving with or without assistive technologies. A study by WHO, World Bank and Harvard University on the global burden of disease places road traffic accidents as the third largest cause of disease and disability. Another study points out that older drivers have a high incidence of crashes per mile driven. Consequently, examining factors that contribute to driving ability and safety among older drivers is critical to understanding risk factors for accidents. Limitations of current studies include the lack of standard evaluation methods for the elderly as a major problem. The need for greater global collaboration through comparison studies targeted at this problem is clear. Yet, there are no ciear standards including datasets to enable these successful collaborations. The proposed project will bring together investigators from the University of Sao Paulo (USP) led by Greve and the University of Michigan (U-M) led by Tate to plan the development and testing of a methodology for evaluating driving performance of older individuais with and without disabilities.The investigators from USP area working with elder Brazilian drivers (more than 65 years) using a driving simulator. The main purpose is evaluated the reaction-time in non-expectable driving situation compared with younger drivers. Some physical skills area also evaluated: balance, coordination and muscle strength. The investigators plan to use standard measures and new datasets as proposed by the NIH Tool Box and Common Data Elements supplemented by specific evaluation tools related to driving performance. Utilizing resources at USP School of Medicine and the U-M Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Center, the Injury Center and the Transportation Research Institute, the investigators will build upon a current FAPESP study and current U-M studies. Budget includes travei for the investigators to plan the joint collaboration and a meeting of investigators to develop evaluation methods and conduct pilot testing. Data from this planning project will be used to prepare a larger proposal for funding to FAPESP and other U.S. agencies. The study creates a platform for evaluation that can be applied to other areas of interest. (AU)