[The problem of re-confirming the driving licence in the practice of the clinical department].

BACKGROUND: The standpoint published by the National Consultant in the Field of Occupational Medicine obliges physicians to send, to institutions responsible for traffic safety, the information on individuals who, for medical reasons, should not be permitted to drive motor vehicles. This situation is a source of a conflict: on the one hand the medical profession is a profession of public trust; on the other the doctor, when performing his/her official duties, is obliged to safeguard the wellbeing of the general population and, therefore, is expected to take suitable measures (including administrative) if he/she is in the possession of an information that something or someone may offer a threat to traffic safety. MATERIAL AND METHODS: On the basis of the existing legal regulations as well as author's own experiences, it has been attempted to standardize clinical and certifying procedures to be used in cases when an individual (a driver candidate or a current driver) is reasonably suspected to be encumbered with a characteristic that precludes him/her from being granted permission to drive motor vehicles. RESULTS: The authors of this publication developed and then implemented a standard clinical test procedure to be applied in circumstances as those described above. A statistical analysis of the implemented algorithm based on clinical cases hospitalized in 2008-2010 at the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Department of Occupational Diseases and Toxicology, Toxicology Unit (DODTTU) has been also performed. CONCLUSIONS: This paper reports the first attempt to implement, in a hospital ward, the algorithm intended to ensure comprehensive and honest procedure to be applied when institution responsible for issue and/ or re-confirming of driving licenses must be notified by a hospital ward worker to the concerned institution that the examined patient should not, for medical reasons, be permitted to