A new study, recently published in the online edition of Neurology® on January 8, 2025, has shed light on the challenges older adults face when seeking neurological care.
This research, focusing on Medicare recipients, reveals that patients often endure an average wait of over a month for an appointment with a neurologist after receiving a referral from their primary care doctor or other healthcare professionals.
Alarmingly, many individuals may find themselves waiting even longer—upward of three months—to access much-needed specialized care.
Impact of Neurologist Shortages
Dr. Brian C. Callaghan, the lead author of the study and chair of the Health Services Research Subcommittee for the American Academy of Neurology, underscored the vital role neurologists play in managing complex conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease.
He highlighted that the current shortage of neurologists in the United States can lead to significantly prolonged wait periods, averaging about 34 days before a first appointment.
To reach these conclusions, researchers delved into two years of Medicare data, examining a substantial sample of 163,313 patients referred to over 10,000 neurologists across the nation.
Participants in the study averaged around 74 years of age and were directed to neurologists by nearly 85,000 different physicians.
Findings on Wait Times
The findings were striking: nearly 18% of participants reported waiting longer than 90 days for their appointments.
Surprisingly, the analysis indicated no significant differences in wait times based on factors such as race, gender, or ethnicity.
However, those suffering from multiple sclerosis had a longer average wait—29 days more than individuals seeking care for back pain.
Additionally, patients with epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease faced longer delays of 10 and 9 days, respectively.
Interestingly, the study also explored how the number of neurologists in various regions influenced wait times.
Despite the presence of 10 to 50 neurologists per 100,000 people in certain areas, there was no consistent correlation with appointment delays.
Instead, significant fluctuations were noted at the state level, likely due to differing healthcare access policies across the country.
Addressing Prolonged Wait Times
The situation worsened for individuals who sought appointments outside their initial referral networks, as they faced an average increase of 11 days in waiting time.
The conditions most commonly associated with these extended waits included multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease.
Chun Chieh Lin, one of the researchers, emphasized the importance of timely specialist referrals, which can lead to improved patient outcomes and satisfaction.
He pointed out that these findings highlight the urgent need for innovative strategies to shorten waiting periods for those grappling with neurological issues.
Dr. Carlayne E. Jackson, president of the American Academy of Neurology, shared her commitment to addressing the issue of prolonged wait times.
She emphasized the organization’s efforts to equip neurology practices with resources aimed at enhancing their efficiency.
Additionally, she mentioned that increasing the number of practicing neurologists is a top priority, along with improving telemedicine access for patients dealing with neurological disorders.
It’s worth noting, however, that a limitation of this research is the exclusion of patients who received referrals but did not complete their appointments.
This oversight may have masked potential disparities in access at the referral level, and researchers stressed the importance of future studies to include this group.
The American Academy of Neurology generously supported this research, emphasizing the critical need for improvements in accessibility to specialized neurologic care.
Source: ScienceDaily