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Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ) about Neurologists
Table of
Contents
- How do I get to see a
neurologist ?
- Where can I find
someone who knows about my specific condition ?
- Why doesn't my doctor
send me to a neurologist?
- How many neurologists are
there in the province ?
- How is a neurologist
different from a neurosurgeon?
How do I
get to see a neurologist ?
For medical service plan (MSP) insured
activities neurologists are available by referral from another physician
only. The referral is usually from the person's family doctor, but may be
from any other physician that they have recently seen. If it has been more
than 6 months since you last saw your neurologist, you must be referred
again in order for MSP to cover the cost.
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Where
can I find someone who knows about my specific condition ?
Unless their practice is confined to a
specific subspecialty area, all neurologists are familiar with the
majority of neurological problems. For people who require more specific
care, expertise in most neurological subspecialties is available within
the province and can be arranged directly by your family doctor or by your
neurologist.
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Why
doesn't my doctor send me to a neurologist?
There can be several reasons for this:
-Your problem does not
seem of a neurological nature to your physician
-Your doctor is familiar
and trained to deal with your problem and does not require neurological
consultative services
-There is no neurologist
readily available in your area and referral to an internal medicine
specialist (of which neurology is a subspecialty) who has expertise in
your problem is available
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How many
neurologists are there in the province ?
There are approximately 75 practicing
neurologist in BC. Not all of them maintain a full clinical practice, as
they may be semi-retired or involved in research and teaching. The
majority of them are located in the urban areas of Victoria and the lower
mainland, where the secondary and tertiary referral hospitals are.
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How is a
neurologist different from a neurosurgeon?
Although neurologists and neurosurgeons
have similar interests, are both highly trained and often work in close
association, neurologists specialize primarily in diagnosis and treatment
of conditions which can not be treated surgically, are better treated
medically or require a medical component to their surgical care.
This amounts to the majority of neurological conditions, and includes most
degenerative, infective, inflammatory and inherited disorders.
Neurologists usually do not perform surgery.
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