Neurologist Care and Hospitalizations in Patients with Parkinson Disease

Frequent neurologist care was associated with fewer PD-related hospitalizations, shorter stays, and lower costs than less-frequent neurologist care.

To examine the influence of neurologists on the hospitalization of the Parkinson disease (PD) patient, researchers reviewed a database of Medicare beneficiaries who received a diagnosis in 2002 and survived until at least 2006. Both PD-related and general medical-related hospitalizations were examined. Secondary measures included a dose effect (per number of visits with the neurologist) and cost stratification.

Of 24,929 incident PD cases, 13,489 had neurologist care. During 48 months of follow-up, initial and repeat hospitalizations for certain PD-related conditions were significantly less frequent in patients who had been seeing a neurologist routinely than in those who saw a neurologist infrequently: psychosis (adjusted hazard ratio for f…

Reviewing Author

Michael S. Okun, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardParkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America

Speaker’s BureauMedscape/WebMD CME, Movement Disorders Society CME, American Academy of Neurology CME

RoyaltiesBooks4Patients; Demos; Cambridge; Taylor and Francis; Robert Rose; Public Affairs

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health; Parkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America; University of Florida Foundation

Editorial BoardsTremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements; JAMA Neurology

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesParkinson’s Foundation (Medical Advisor)