# 63 II-3.5300 II-3.7200 April 6, 1993 DJ 202-PL-213 Mr. Mark R. Speicher Assistant Director for Licensure and Administration Arizona Board of Medical Examiners 2001 West Camelback Road, Suite 300 Phoenix, Arizona 85015 Dear Mr. Speicher: This letter responds to a request for assistance by Dr. Jane Jarrow of AHSSPPE in replying to your letter of May 20, 1992. Specifically, Ms. Jarrow has asked for guidance regarding the Arizona Board of Medical Examiners' future use of certain questions on the application form for licenses and renewal of licenses to practice medicine. We regret the delay in not responding to your inquiry sooner. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) authorizes the Department of Justice to provide technical assistance to individuals and entities having rights or obligations under the Act. This letter provides informal guidance to assist you in understanding the ADA's requirements. However, it does not constitute a legal interpretation and it is not binding on the Department. As requested, we have reviewed the list of possible medical license/renewal application questions for conformity with ADA requirements. We recommend that the questions be revised consistent with the general parameters discussed below. Under the ADA, public entities are prohibited from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in the granting of licenses or certification. A person is a "qualified individual with a disability" with respect to licensing or certification if he or she can meet the essential eligibility requirements for receiving the license or certification. See 28 C.F.R. 35.130(b)(6) of the enclosed title II regulation at pages 35704 and 35705. Generally, a public entity is prohibited from applying eligibility criteria that screen out or tend to screen out individuals with disabilities from fully and equally enjoying any service, program, or activity. A public entity may, however, impose neutral rules and criteria that screen out, or tend to screen out, individuals with disabilities if the criteria are necessary for the provision of the service, program, or activity being offered. See 28 C.F.R. 35.130(b)(8). This provision of the Department's regulation prohibits attempts by State or local governments to identify unnecessarily the existence of a disability. With respect to your particular inquiry, the Arizona Board of Medical Examiners is permitted to impose eligibility criteria (i.e., ask questions) that screen out, or tend to screen out, individuals with disabilities if the criteria are "necessary" to ensure that the Board is licensing persons fit to practice medicine. It is somewhat difficult for us to review the license/renewal application questions you have proposed because we are unaware of the justification for individual questions. Also, we do not know how the information will be used once it is obtained. We can, however, state that, as presently formulated, the questions appear to be overbroad, i.e., they seek information about the nature and severity of a person's disability that is unrelated to the safe operation of the practice of medicine. We urge you to review your objectives for asking each question. Specifically, you should consider whether the information sought is necessary to the safe practice of medicine. We also recommend that you take into account the following comments regarding specific questions. "1) Have you ever been treated for the use or misuse of any chemical substance or substances?" This question is overbroad both in terms of time period and nature of the substances. The time period should be limited to the recent past (perhaps within the last five years). Also, the term "chemical substance" appears to be overinclusive. The question might be more narrowly tailored to respond to your specific concerns by limiting it to the use or misuse of prescription drugs and illegal chemical substances. We also note that your question would identify only individuals who have been treated, while others who have had problems with the use of illegal drugs but go without treatment, are not required to identify themselves. It is the latter group that may pose a greater concern to you. "2) Have you ever been hospitalized or a patient in a mental or other institution of confinement, or have you ever been treated or received medication for a mental or behavioral condition?" As with Question 1, use of the phrase "have you ever been" presents a problem. The question should be limited in time to the recent past, e.g., within the last five years. The question is particularly troublesome because it includes persons with very disparate conditions. For example, someone who once received a prescription for Valium and a person who was recently hospitalized for schizophrenia would both be required to answer this question in the affirmative. The question should be narrowly tailored to seek information that responds directly to legitimate concerns about granting licenses to or renewing licenses of persons whose serious mental or behavioral impairments would affect their ability to practice medicine such that others would be exposed to significant health and safety risks. The inquiry needs to focus on the present ability to meet essential eligibility requirements. "3) Are you suffering from any ailment communicable to others?" This question also raises problems. The significance of an applicant's response to this question would vary dramatically according to type of medical practice. For persons seeking to practice psychiatry, for example, the question might be important for air-borne diseases, such as tuberculosis, but with no meaning for blood-borne diseases, such as HIV infection. Quite a different result would hold for applicants seeking to practice surgical medicine. The Board therefore should tailor this question more narrowly. For example, the Board could consider requiring an answer only from applicants planning to practice clinical medicine, or for those who will work in research settings where persons with communicable illnesses would endanger the safe operation of the practice of medicine. Presumably, applicants with short-term contagious illnesses such as fevers, influenza, or the common cold are not expected to answer this question in the affirmative: You may want to revise this question to avoid such a result. In any event, common, short-term illnesses that predictably resolve themselves within a matter of days do not "substantially limit" a major life activity, and individuals with such illnesses are not covered by the ADA. In setting requirements regarding communicable diseases, you might wish to obtain further guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 714B, Washington, DC 20201, 202-690-7134). "4) Are you presently in good physical and mental health?" We recommend that the question be more closely tied to the safe operation of the practice of medicine. Such a result could be accomplished, for example, by asking whether an individual's physical or mental health would affect his or her ability to practice medicine such that others could be exposed to significant health and safety risks. "5) Have you been hospitalized or treated with medication for any psychiatric, neurological, or communicable illness for a period exceeding thirty days? Once again we would suggest that this question be more narrowly tailored. Again, perhaps the question should be limited in time to the recent past (within five years). It should reflect that the relevancy of communicable illnesses depends upon the type of practice engaged in by an individual applicant. Further, as discussed above in the comments regarding Question 2, the question should be revised to distinguish between persons treated for minor conditions and those treated for more serious psychiatric or neurological illnesses that might affect their ability to practice medicine such that others would be exposed to significant health and safety risks. Enclosed you will find a copy of the Department's title II regulation and the Department's title II Technical Assistance Manual. We hope this information will be useful to you. Sincerely, John L. Wodatch Chief Public Access Section Enclosures (2) Title II regulation Title II Technical Assistance Manual