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.

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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:

A survey of physicians, particularly Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs), revealed significant reluctance to perform BasicMed exams, citing primary concerns over liability and a perceived lack of clear standards.
The author suggests that BasicMed exams may actually reduce physician liability compared to traditional FAA medicals because doctors only examine, rather than diagnose or treat.
BasicMed alters the doctor-patient relationship, establishing the pilot as the direct client, and places increased responsibility on pilots for understanding requirements and self-certifying fitness.
BasicMed can benefit pilots by potentially eliminating many Special Issuances and encouraging proactive medical care, though pilots may need to search to find a willing physician.

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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?”