Department of Neurology, The Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Dublin, Incorporating the National Children's Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Ireland.
Ir J Med Sci. 2011 Jun;180(2):395-9. doi: 10.1007/s11845-010-0555-6. Epub 2010 Sep 6.
Despite understaffing of neurology services in Ireland, the demand for liaison neurologist input into the care of hospital inpatients is increasing. This aspect of the workload of the neurologist is often under recognised.
AIMS/METHODS: We prospectively recorded data on referral and service delivery patterns to a liaison neurology service, the neurological conditions encountered, and the impact of neurology input on patient care.
Over a 13-month period, 669 consults were audited. Of these, 79% of patients were seen within 48 h and 86% of patients were assessed by a consultant neurologist before discharge. Management was changed in 69% cases, and discharge from hospital expedited in 50%. If adequate resources for neurological assessment had been available, 28% could have been seen as outpatients, with projected savings of 857 bed days.
Investment in neurology services would facilitate early accurate diagnosis, efficient patient and bed management, with substantial savings.
尽管爱尔兰的神经科服务人员配备不足，但对联络神经科医生为住院患者提供护理的需求正在增加。神经科医生的工作负荷中这一方面往往未得到充分认识。
目的/方法：我们前瞻性地记录了向联络神经病学服务的转诊和服务提供模式的数据、遇到的神经科疾病以及神经病学干预对患者护理的影响。
在 13 个月的时间里，共审核了 669 次咨询。其中，79%的患者在 48 小时内得到了诊治，86%的患者在出院前由顾问神经病学家进行了评估。在 69%的病例中改变了治疗方案，50%的患者提前出院。如果有足够的神经科评估资源，28%的患者可以作为门诊患者进行治疗，预计可节省 857 个床位日。
对神经科服务的投资将有助于早期做出准确诊断，实现患者和床位管理的高效率，从而节省大量成本。
