As doctors grow older, concerns around cognitive decline and patient safety are prompting tough conversations worldwide. While US hospitals are piloting age-linked assessments, India continues to rely on self-regulation, raising critical questions for the future of healthcare.

The image of the seasoned doctor, calm, confident, guided by decades of experience, still commands deep respect in India’s healthcare system. Yet, as the medical workforce ages, an uncomfortable but necessary question is beginning to surface globally: who checks the doctor when age may begin to impair judgment, memory, or decision-making? A recent New York Times report has brought renewed attention to how hospitals in the United States are grappling with this issue by introducing cognitive and competency testing for older physicians. The debate is not about ageism, experts insist, but about patient safety and professional accountability. In India, however, the discussion remains largely absent from policy circles.

There is no formal mechanism to assess cognitive fitness of aging doctors, even as life expectancy rises and physicians continue to practice well into their seventies and eighties. This gap, many believe, could have serious implications for patient care unless addressed proactively.

AN AGING MEDICAL WORKFORCE, A GLOBAL CONCERN

Across the world, doctors are practicing longer than ever before. In the US, nearly one in five physicians is over the age of 65, according to recent workforce data. With age comes experience, but also a higher risk of cognitive slowing, reduced reaction time, and memory lapses. Recognising this, some American hospitals have begun implementing age-linked cognitive screening, often starting at 70, sparking intense debate about fairness, discrimination, and safety.

Source: India Today - February,03,2026