PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - MR Douglas
AU  - D Peake
AU  - SG Sturman
AU  - A Sivaguru
AU  - CE Clarke
AU  - DJ Nicholl
TI  - The inpatient neurology consultation service: value and cost
AID  - 10.7861/clinmedicine.11-3-215
DP  - 2011 Jun 01
TA  - Clinical Medicine
PG  - 215--217
VI  - 11
IP  - 3
4099  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/11/3/215.short
4100  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/11/3/215.full
SO  - Clin Med2011 Jun 01; 11
AB  - Neurological conditions comprise a significant proportion of patient admissions to hospital but, in the majority of cases, are admitted under the care of non-neurological physicians. As a consequence, neurological ward consultations are commonly requested by the admitting medical teams to review diagnoses and management plans. The outcomes of neurological ward consultations were examined and the time required for the referral process recorded by performing a detailed prospective three-month audit of inpatient referrals to the neurology service. The consultations of 120 patients were recorded, categorised and analysed. These consultations were beneficial in the vast majority of cases, with a clear impact on patient diagnoses or management plans. The consultation process was time consuming, however, both in respect of the initial review, but also with follow-up visits. This audit highlights the importance of neurological input in the diagnosis and management of hospital inpatients. The time taken for this process should be resourced appropriately.