University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Med J Aust. 2012 May 7;196(8):505-7. doi: 10.5694/mja11.11579.
The medical profession is ageing in parallel with the wider community, with more Australian doctors working into their 70s. This has implications for workforce planning and raises questions about competence. However, no Australian specialist college has policies relating to the special circumstances of ageing practitioners. Ageing practitioners are affected by a number of age-related sensory and neurocognitive changes, including a decline in processing speed, reduced problem-solving ability and fluid intelligence, impaired hearing and sight, and reduced manual dexterity. A policy of mandatory retirement is not consistent with the wide individual variations in cognitive ageing. However, there may be an age ceiling, which varies by medical specialty and individual. Studies show the older doctors in several specialties perform worse than their younger colleagues. Older doctors, many of whom are found to be cognitively impaired, are more likely to be reported to the authorities for poor performance. The wisdom and experience of older doctors is of great value. However, work adaptations may need to be considered. For intensivists, these could include part-time work towards retirement, reduced after-hours call and shift work, and reduced exposure to acute crisis intervention, with an increased focus on mentoring, teaching, administration and research.
医学行业与更广泛的社区一起老龄化，越来越多的澳大利亚医生工作到 70 多岁。这对劳动力规划有影响，并引发了关于能力的问题。然而，没有澳大利亚专业学院有与老年从业者特殊情况相关的政策。老年从业者受到许多与年龄相关的感觉和神经认知变化的影响，包括处理速度下降、解决问题能力和流体智力下降、听力和视力受损以及手眼协调能力下降。强制退休政策不符合认知老化的广泛个体差异。然而，可能存在一个年龄上限，具体取决于医疗专业和个人。研究表明，几个专业的老年医生的表现不如年轻同事。许多认知受损的老年医生更有可能因表现不佳而被报告给当局。老年医生的智慧和经验非常宝贵。然而，可能需要考虑工作调整。对于重症监护医生来说，这些调整可能包括为退休而兼职工作、减少夜间值班和轮班工作、减少接触急性危机干预，并增加对指导、教学、管理和研究的关注。
