14 Jan Long Wait Times To See A Neurologist, Especially for MS, Epilepsy and Parkinson’s Patients

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Callaghan

Brian C. Callaghan, MD, Ph.D, FAAN,
Chair of the American Academy of Neurology’s Health Services Research Subcommittee
University of Michigan Health in Ann Arbor, Michigan

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Access to neurologists can be a challenge, but few studies have attempted to quantify wait times to see neurologists and the factors that affect how long a patient must wait.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?

Response:  Patients on Medicare wait an average of 34 days to see a neurologist after being referred by another physician with almost one in five waiting more than 90 days.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: Wait times to see a neurologist are long and variable. The wait times are particularly long for patients with multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a results of this study?

Response: Interventions are needed to decrease the time to see a neurologist and we should continually track our progress on improving this number.

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add? Any disclosures?

Response: Wait times to see a neurologist did not differ according to race, ethnicity, or sex.

I receive research contracts and compensation for being an associate editor from the American Academy of Neurology.

Citation: Wait Time to See a Neurologist After Referral Among Medicare Participants
Chun Chieh Lin  Lavanya Muthukumar , Evan Lee Reynolds  Chloe E. Hill Gregory J. Esper and Brian C. Callaghan
February 11, 2025 issue 104 (3)
https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000210217

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Last Updated on January 14, 2025 by Marie Benz MD FAAD