Reliability of P-drive in occupational therapy following a short training session: A promising instrument measuring seniors’ on-road driving competencies

Abstract

Introduction

Occupational therapists could play an important role in facilitating driving cessation for ageing drivers. This, however, requires an easy-to-learn, standardised on-road evaluation method. This study therefore investigates whether use of ‘P-drive’ could be reliably taught to occupational therapists via a short half-day training session.

Method

Using the English 26-item version of P-drive, two occupational therapists evaluated the driving ability of 24 home-dwelling drivers aged 70 years or over on a standardised on-road route. Experienced driving instructors’ on-road, subjective evaluations were then compared with P-drive scores.

Results

Following a short half-day training session, P-drive was shown to have almost perfect between-rater reliability (ICC_2,1 = 0.950, 95% CI 0.889 to 0.978). Reliability was stable across sessions including the training phase even if occupational therapists seemed to become slightly less severe in their ratings with experience. P-drive’s score was related to the driving instructors’ subjective evaluations of driving skills in a non-linear manner (R²= 0.445, p = 0.021).

Conclusion

P-drive is a reliable instrument that can easily be taught to occupational therapists and implemented as a way of standardising the on-road driving test.