BasicMed Follow Up

The BasicMed exam follows a similar structure to an FAA physical with one big difference. In an FAA medical, the doctor needs to identify if body parts, organ systems and other general things such as blood pressure are: Normal or Abnormal. If the AME finds something abnormal, s/he must provide a narrative. By identifying an abnormality, the AME is making a diagnosis of sorts. In a BasicMed exam, the same body parts and organ systems only need to be examined, but not identified as normal or abnormal, thus no diagnosis is made.

lbencini-tibo

Friday, June 15, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Evolution owners can get support for their airplanes from the Evolution Service Network. Evolution Aircraft/Jessica Ambats

Key Takeaways:

Many physicians, particularly Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs), are hesitant to perform BasicMed exams, primarily due to liability concerns (despite the doctor not diagnosing or treating), perceived lack of clear standards, or their professional specialty.
BasicMed offers benefits for many pilots, such as reducing the complexity and cost associated with Special Issuances, but requires a past FAA medical certificate, a valid driver's license, and ongoing pilot self-certification of fitness to fly.
The BasicMed process fundamentally shifts the doctor-pilot relationship from one under FAA oversight to a direct client model, requiring pilots to fully understand and articulate the regulations while maintaining personal responsibility for their fitness to fly.

See a mistake? Contact us.

For the February 2018 issue ofIFR, I wrote “BasicMed Status Report.” In March 2018, with the help of the Flying Physician Association (FPA), I was able to conduct a survey of doctors on BasicMed and 79 members out of a membership of 531 chose to respond.

In preparing the results and considering insights from the survey, I was reminded of an old joke: A mathematician, an accountant, and a statistician were asked, “What is two plus two?” The mathematician answers directly, “Four.” The accountant ponders a moment and answers, “Well, it depends.” The statistician smiles broadly and confidently answers, “What would you like it to be?”