Nearly 47% of U.S. Doctors Are 55 or Older as Hospitals Expand Competency Screening
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 12
Nearly 47% of U.S. Doctors Are 55 or Older as Hospitals Expand Competency Screening
1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 12
Summary
Nearly 47% of active U.S. physicians are now 55 or older, intensifying patient-safety concerns as hospitals confront how to assess late-career doctors whose abilities may decline.
522 lawsuits tied to Florida orthopedic surgeon Richard Heekin’s practice became a stark example after patients alleged he kept operating while impaired by a progressive neurological disease; one patient died.
Evidence remains mixed: a 2005 review linked older physicians or longer practice to poorer performance in many studies, and a 2023 analysis of 2.6 million emergency visits found lower seven-day mortality for patients treated by doctors under 40.
Age-triggered screening has spread more widely than mandatory retirement in the U.S.; Yale found likely performance-impairing deficits in 18 of its first 141 assessed practitioners, while Hartford reported cognitive impairment in 14.4% of 160 screened doctors.
The debate is shifting toward broader career-long assessment after the American College of Surgeons in 2024 endorsed ongoing reviews of outcomes, health and cognition rather than waiting for complaints or relying on age alone.