Older adults in the United States face significant delays in accessing specialized neurological care, according to a study published in Neurology.
The study found that people with Medicare insurance wait an average of 34 days to see a neurologist after being referred by their primary care doctor or another physician. For some, the wait extends to more than three months.
Neurologists play a crucial role in managing complex conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and chronic headaches.
Dr. Brian C. Callaghan of the University of Michigan Health, who led the study, emphasized the importance of timely access to neurological care.
“With the current number of U.S. neurologists, it can take an average of a month or even more to receive this specialized care,” he said.
Researchers analyzed two years of Medicare data, focusing on 163,313 people referred to neurologists by 84,975 physicians. The study covered 10,250 neurologists across the United States, with participants averaging 74 years of age.
By calculating the time from referral to the first neurologist visit, researchers uncovered a nationwide challenge in accessing timely care.
The study revealed:
- Average Wait Time: Patients waited 34 days on average to see a neurologist.
- Extended Waits: Nearly 18% of patients waited longer than 90 days.
- No Disparities by Demographics: Wait times showed no significant differences across race, ethnicity, or gender.
- Condition-Specific Delays: Certain neurological conditions had longer wait times. For example:
- People with multiple sclerosis (MS) waited an average of 59 days—29 days longer than those seeing a neurologist for back pain.
- Those with epilepsy waited 40 days, and patients with Parkinson’s disease waited 39 days on average.
Surprisingly, the availability of neurologists in a given area didn’t significantly impact wait times, whether there were 10 or 50 neurologists per 100,000 people. However, state-specific policies and healthcare regulations contributed to varying access levels.
Patients who sought care outside their physician’s referral area experienced an average of 11 extra days of waiting. This was particularly common among those with MS, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease.
Dr. Chun Chieh Lin from The Ohio State University noted that early referrals to specialists often improve outcomes and patient satisfaction. “Our findings highlight the need for new strategies to help people with neurological conditions see neurologists faster,” he said.
The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has been working to address these challenges. AAN President Dr. Carlayne E. Jackson pointed out ongoing efforts, such as providing resources to neurology practices to enhance efficiency and advocating for policies to increase the number of neurologists. Additionally, the organization has supported telemedicine as a means to improve access to care.
Study Limitations and Future Research
A limitation of the study is that it didn’t account for people who were referred to neurologists but didn’t follow through with the visit.
This omission could mean that disparities at the referral stage were overlooked. Future research will need to explore why some patients don’t complete their referrals and whether additional barriers exist.
The study sheds light on the challenges older adults face in accessing timely neurological care, with average wait times of over a month and significant delays for certain conditions.
While ongoing efforts aim to address these issues, the findings underscore the need for innovative solutions to reduce wait times and ensure better care for patients with neurological conditions.
The research findings can be found in Neurology.
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