[A descriptive analysis of the demand for ambulatory neurological care in the health district of Huelva]

Abstract

Introduction: In recent years the demand for ambulatory neurological care has risen. Studying this situation can help to improve health care planning and the quality of the referrals from primary care.

Aim: To analyse a number of variables involved in the first visits referred from primary care to neurology services.

Patients and methods: We conducted a prospective, descriptive study in which data was consecutively collected about 500 new patients from primary care who had appointments for a visit to general neurology services in the health district of the province of Huelva. Demographic features, the reason for referral, initial diagnoses and the case resolution index were analysed.

Results: Mean age was 51 years old, and patients were predominantly female (63.4%). The most frequent diagnoses were headaches (42.8%) and cognitive impairment (12%). In 8.2% of cases the referred patients had no neurological pathology. Data showed that 40.2% were discharged after the first visit.

Conclusions: The demographic characteristics and reasons for the visit were similar to those previously published on other regions in Spain. The high percentage of direct discharges translates into a poor selection of the patients referred from primary care. Improving the quality of referrals would make it possible to enhance the efficiency of ambulatory neurological care.