[Multicenter transverse study of the neurological ambulatory care in the Spanish Health System in Aragon: overall results].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects and how the Neurology Outpatient Departments of Aragon work in practice.


METHODS
For three consecutive months all patients attending the Neurology Outpatient Departments of the Health Areas of the Health Service of Aragón for the first time were given a specially designed questionnaire.


RESULTS
The majority of the patients were women (57%). The average age was 51.5 +/- 20.6 years. The family doctor referred 79.5% of the patients. The average waiting time for patients to be seen was 12.4 +/- 10.7 days. Further investigations were requested in 48.9% of the patients (cerebral CT in 18.1%, MR in 2.6%, EEG in 12% and ENG-EMG in 6.8%). The commonest diagnoses were headache (25.5%), cerebrovascular pathology (12.5%), extrapyramidal pathology (7.5%), syncope (6.5%), convulsions (6%), vertigo (5.9%), psychiatric disorders (5%), non-neurological disorders (4.4%). No treatment was given to 15.64% of the patients attending for the first time. The commonest drugs used were: calcium antagonists (32.5%), platelet antiaggregants (20.9%), antidepressives (17%), antiepileptic drugs (15.6%) and NSAIDS (5.3%).


CONCLUSIONS
There is a considerable demand for neurological consultations and there are few neurologists in proportion to the population. Better selection of the patients sent for consultation and a better understanding by family doctors of the commoner neurological disorders would considerably reduce the number of patients sent to the Outpatient Department.
Gracia-Naya
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M
Servicio de Neurologia, Hospital Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, España.
Usón-Martín
M M
MM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004576:Electromyography; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009462:Neurology / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Estudio transversal multicéntrico de las consultas externas de Neurología de la Seguridad Social en Aragón. Resultados globales. Grupo de Estudio de Neurólogos Aragoneses.