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. 2002 Jun;19(3):297-9.
doi: 10.1093/fampra/19.3.297.

Evaluation of referrals from general practice to a neurological department

Svein Ivar Bekkelund  1 , Claus Albretsen
Affiliations

Evaluation of referrals from general practice to a neurological department

Svein Ivar Bekkelund et al. Fam Pract. 2002 Jun.

Abstract

Background: The presence of neurological deficits as obtained from clinical examination increases the likelihood of detecting serious underlying brain disorders.

Objectives: In this study, we assessed the frequency of reported clinical neurological examination in patients referred to neurology.

Methods: We consecutively evaluated referrals to a neurological centre during a 6-month period.

Results: From a total of 716 patients, 377 (51%) had an examination reported in the referral letter. Clinical examinations were reported more often in patients with musculo-skeletal disorders compared with others, P = 0.0001. Examination was less likely to be reported in those with a history of disturbed consciousness.

Conclusion: By showing that only about half of the patients had an examination reported, the study demonstrates that the process of selecting those with a high priority for a secondary neurological service can be improved.

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