Older Adults’ Preferences for Communication with Healthcare Providers About Driving
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Summary
This paper addresses the critical need to understand older adults’ preferences for communication with healthcare providers regarding driving safety and eventual driving cessation. As the older adult population grows, balancing the independence provided by driving against the safety risks associated with age-related impairments has become a significant public health challenge. While healthcare providers are recognized as key figures in identifying at-risk drivers, conversations about driving retirement are often difficult and avoided. The study was motivated by a gap in knowledge regarding the specific types of communication and messages older drivers desire from their clinicians, aiming to inform strategies that facilitate productive discussions and proactive planning for mobility transitions. The authors conducted a qualitative metasynthesis of 22 published studies involving 518 older adult drivers. The research design involved a systematic search of databases including PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science, as well as grey literature, for qualitative studies published on or before October 2014. Inclusion criteria required that studies focus on drivers aged 65 or older, utilize qualitative methods, and contain data on older drivers’ perspectives regarding communication with healthcare providers. The team performed a methodological critical review and used an inductive, team-based approach to analyze themes across the studies, employing reciprocal translation to synthesize findings into broader interpretive themes. The metasynthesis identified five major themes regarding older adults’ communication preferences. First, driving discussions are emotionally charged, often triggering feelings of sadness, powerlessness, or fear of losing independence; older adults desire emotional support and hope regarding alternative transportation. Second, context matters, with participants preferring personalized counseling that acknowledges individual circumstances, medical conditions, and geographic factors rather than generic approaches. Third, healthcare providers are viewed as trusted authority figures; older adults generally prefer guidance from their own providers over family members, though they sometimes view driving as a personal matter. Fourth, communication should occur over time, allowing for advance planning and gradual adjustment rather than abrupt cessation. Finally, older adults strongly desire agency in the decision to stop driving, seeking objective evidence and collaborative decision-making rather than forced compliance. The significance of these findings lies in their potential to improve clinical practices and older driver safety. The authors conclude that healthcare providers can better support older drivers and their families by employing tactful, empathetic communication strategies that respect the older adult’s autonomy and emotional needs. By integrating routine, personalized discussions about driving into clinical care and providing clear information on testing and cessation processes, providers can help older adults make informed decisions about driving retirement. This approach aims to reduce the negative health outcomes associated with premature driving cessation while addressing safety concerns, ultimately supporting a smoother transition to alternative mobility options.
Key finding
A qualitative metasynthesis of 22 studies (518 older adult drivers) identified five communication preferences: driving discussions are emotionally charged and context-sensitive; healthcare providers are trusted authorities; conversations should unfold over time rather than suddenly; and older adults want to maintain agency in decisions about driving cessation.
Methodology
review
Provenance
The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_aaa_foundation on 2026-05-23 (6 acquisition events logged).
| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | aaa_foundation | — | — | 2 | 2026-05-23 |
| archive | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
| clean | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-01 |
| chunk | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-01 |
| embed | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-02 |
| enrich | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 19 | 2026-06-11 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.
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