Late Career Health Screening for Physicians and Healthcare Professionals (LCHS)
Late Career Health Screening
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What LCHS is:
Evidence suggests that there is an inverse relationship between the number of years that a physician has been in practice and the quality of care that the physician provides. LCHS is a physical and mental health screening intended for late career physicians who have reached a certain age (generally 70 and older), but otherwise have no known impairment or competency problems. LCHS is designed to detect the presence of any physical or mental health problems affecting a physician’s ability to practice. If concerns are identified, further evaluation will be recommended. LCHS is not a diagnostic evaluation nor is it a fitness for duty evaluation. It is not intended to be used in “for cause” assessments of physicians who are suspected of having impairment. Hospitals or medical groups that have concerns about an individual physician’s fitness to practice should consult with our Fitness for Duty Program’s Administrative Director, Patricia Smith, M.P.H., prsmith@ucsd.edu.
Components of LCHS:
- Review of self-report health questionnaires
- History and physical examination
- MicroCogTM Cognitive screening examination
- Mental health screen
- Dexterity test (for proceduralists only)
Possible results of LCHS:
Following the assessment, a final report will be sent to the referring group that outlines whether the physician falls into one of the following two categories and what recommendations exist:
Who should use LCHS:
Any hospital or medical group that would like to ensure the ongoing health and fitness to practice of its late career practitioners would benefit from LCHS. Any hospital or medical group that has enacted a policy to screen late career practitioners would benefit from LCHS.
Why use PACE?:
The PACE Program was originally founded in 1996 to provide clinical competency evaluations of and remedial education to physicians identified as having performance concerns. The physical and mental health screening components of our competency evaluation have helped detect undiagnosed health problems in dozens of physicians that were potentially impaired in their ability to practice safely. This in turn led to the creation of the PACE Fitness for Duty Evaluation (FFDE) in July 2011, which evaluates physicians suspected of impairment due to physical, cognitive or mental health problems. The PACE Program has been at the forefront of the national conversation about how to perform an age-based screening assessment for physicians.
Late Career Health Screening Frequently Asked Questions
Print and complete the PDF application for a Late Career Health Screening, and email or fax it to us.
Once received, our staff will email you some additional forms that will need to be completed prior to scheduling your screening.
We begin designing and scheduling your individualized assessment after receiving your application, payment, and requested documents (ex. Intake forms, hospital privileges, etc.). We generally schedule 2-4 weeks out from then.
Evaluations are scheduled Mondays-Fridays and are based on your availability and our faculty availability.
Each LCHS will be conducted in-person at the PACE office in San Diego and will take between 2-4 hours to complete.
The final report is typically completed 4 weeks after the in-person screening, and approximately 8-10 weeks from the receipt of application.
The cost of a Late Career Health Screening is $2,000 for Non-Proceduralists and $2,200 for Proceduralists.