When to Get Back Behind the Wheel While on the Road t... (edure that a patient can follow once he ...)

When to Get Back Behind the Wheel While on the Road to Recovery

Date:12/1/2008

edure that a patient can follow once he or she has recovered from an orthopaedic injury or surgical care.

In some locations, Dr. Rodriguez says patients may be able to find occupational therapy centers which offer return-to-driving programs certified by the American Occupational Therapy Association, but those programs are not very common in most of the country.

In every case, early patient involvement in the decision-making process is important. Dr. Rodriguez offers the following advice for patients recovering from orthopaedic injury:

Talk to your orthopaedic surgeon early in your treatment to determine how the recovery process will affect your ability to drive;
Ask what steps they take to make sure a patient is ready to return to driving and whether they recommend recertification;
Ask about the existence of any state sponsored or private recertification programs in your area;
Recognize that the recovery process may take longer than anticipated and plan accordingly.

"Above all, never be afraid to ask your orthopaedic surgeon about their process for helping patients return to driving," Dr. Rodriguez says. "Those are perfectly valid questions, and should definitely be asked. The earlier you ask them, the sooner you can begin to make arrangements for retesting, if that's necessary, and for alternate transportation while you're in the recovery process."

When state sponsored or private systems for retesting or recertifying are not available, Dr. Rodriguez says patients may talk to their doctor about individual options to make the return to driving less stressful, including:

Practice driving on less-traveled roads
Practice driving in large parking lots
Drive short distances until the patient is sure of his
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