The American Medical Association voted this week to develop competency guidelines and tests for elderly physicians to ensure they are able to safety treat patients.
Nationwide, roughly 25 percent of physicians are over the age of 64, and that number has quadrupled since 1975. Unlike fields such as aviation and the military, there is currently no mandatory retirement age for physicians, although some hospitals have voluntarily implemented age-based screenings.
Under the AMA-approved plan, groups will be created to develop preliminary assessment guidelines for aging physicians and exams to test physical and mental health. The AMA also included plans to have physicians' cases reviewed, but did not specify who should conduct the assessments how frequently.