Information for occupational therapists
This page contains information for occupational therapists about their role in the medical review process.
Occupational therapists (OT) support patients to maintain mobility independence.
They can provide advice to patients, carers and families about the impacts of health conditions and disabilities on driving and to make recommendations for management and monitoring.
The primary aim of assessing fitness to drive is to assist drivers with medical conditions or disabilities to continue to drive safely, independently and legally, and to identify if driver and/or public safety may be compromised.
Fitness to drive is an important consideration that influences a patient's community mobility and independence.
The how medical reviews work web page has information for patients which describes describing what happens during the process. The medical conditions web page has information about common conditions that may impact driving abilities.
The medical review process
The medical review process provides a mechanism for assessment and decision making about licensing and for facilitating ongoing reviews if required. It aims to optimise driver mobility and capacity to drive in conditions that suit driver capabilities providing they are safe to do so.
Medical Review supports people maintaining their mobility and capacity to drive for as long as they are safe to do so. This is achieved through mechanisms such as conditional licences and regular medical reviews to monitor health conditions.
OTs can assist a patient to self notify to Medical Review about long term health conditions or disabilities that may affect driving safety.
They can also support medical practitioners to be aware of fitness to drive obligations and how to refer to Medical Review.
While health professionals are not legally mandated to notify directly to Medical Review, they are ethically obliged to act in the interests of public safety if they're aware a patient is continuing to drive despite advice to the contrary.
Health professionals making such reports are indemnified under Victorian Road Safety Law.
The role of OT driver assessors
OT driver assessors evaluate the ability of a person with physical, behavioural or cognitive impairments to drive safely, consistently and independently.
They can also make recommendations about driver rehabilitation, vehicle modifications and licence conditions to Medical Review.
Licensing responsbilities
As the driver licensing authority, Medical Review is solely responsible for issuing, renewing, suspending, refusing or cancelling, and reinstating a person's driver licence, including a conditional licence.
Medical Review makes a risk assessment and licensing decisions on a case-by-case basis with reference to the Assessing Fitness to Drive Guidelines.
Medical Review will write to the customer to advise the outcome.
Guidelines for OT driver assessors
Guidelines for OT driver assessors (PDF) have been developed to provide information about licensing, essential in dealing with clients involved in the driving assessment process.
The guidelines aim to:
- provide occupational therapy driver assessors with guidelines to follow when conducting an assessment
- standardise the driver assessment process with respect to driver assessments, by documenting the expected practices, procedures, legislative framework and business rules under which occupational therapists operate
- provide the business rules and legislative framework under which Medical Review operates
- provide essential licensing information to occupational therapists in their role as driver assessors
- assist occupational therapy driver assessors to explain to clients what to expect in an assessment.
The information in the guide to OT driving assessment is aimed at informing your patient about OT driving assessments and can help you to determine whether this is appropriate for your patient.
Fact sheets
For OTs
For clients: