How to Choose the Best Neurologist in Your Area

Did you know that approximately 50 million Americans are affected each year by a neurological disorder? Dealing with a neurological disorder affects all aspects of your life, from your job and family to your overall financial situation.

When you need medical care, you’ll want to ensure you can find the best neurologist in your area. It’s important to know what to look for since you’ll be entrusting your healthcare to them for the long term.

The first step is knowing what questions to ask and what factors to consider. To learn what you need to know, keep reading this guide to see how to find a neurologist you can trust.

Communication Style

When you’re looking to choose a neurologist, they must be approachable and have a communication style you’re comfortable with.

Neurological diseases can be complex and challenging to understand, and you’ll likely have many questions. You’ll need to be able to communicate freely with your neurologist and not feel rushed during your appointment.

Often neurological diseases require many scans and procedures to diagnose and track the disease process. You’ll need to thoroughly understand what these tests show, how long they take, and what you must do to prepare.

So, make sure the neurologist is welcoming, friendly, and willing to answer your questions.

Research the Hospital Quality

It’s important to remember that the hospital your neurologist has privileges at is also your hospital. This hospital is where you’ll go if you need to have surgery or inpatient treatment for your illness.

The quality of a hospital also directly impacts you, so don’t be afraid to dig into the specifics. Your first step is to talk to your primary care doctor about the quality of hospitals in the area.

Next, you’ll need to know what types of questions to ask. Find out information about staffing, such as how many nurses are in each department. If you need surgery, inquire how many surgeries like yours have been performed at that hospital.

Additionally, find out of the hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission. The Joint Commission evaluates healthcare organizations to ensure safe and effective care.

You’ll also want to look at every aspect of the hospital and check things such as:

You’ll also want to consider the location of the hospital. The last thing you need is to have to travel long distances in order to get hospital services.

Look Into Your Insurance Coverage

It’s important to get a thorough understanding of your insurance coverage. While most insurance plans cover many major disease treatments, you’ll need to look at the specifics.

You’ll need to check with your neurologist to see what major insurance plans they accept. Then you’ll need to check your coverage for hospital stays, bloodwork, and scans like CTs or MRIs. Make sure you also look at your prescription coverage so you can plan for how much you’ll have to pay out of pocket.

You’ll also need to check with your insurance policy to see if you need a referral to see a neurologist. Finally, it’s a good idea to find out how much your health insurance deductible is. A great place to start is by looking at your summary of benefits.

Check Overall Experience and Certifications

The neurologist you plan to see should have experience treating various neurological issues. So, you’ll need to check that they have experience treating common neurological problems such as dementia and multiple sclerosis.

Also, having experience in treating other neurological conditions like genetic disorders, movement disorders, and neurodegenerative disorders is helpful. This way, they have a wide range of experience and will be very familiar with the best treatments for your condition.

Make sure to check that the neurologist you’re considering is board-certified. You’ll also need to check into their background. Find out where they completed medical school and residency and what types of hospitals they had their training at.

Finally, take a look at their overall education experience and how they keep up to date on new treatments. See what they do outside their practice, such as volunteer work or community service experience.

Look at the Office Experience

You’ll also want to look at the overall office experience and how you feel when you’re there. You can do this by scheduling an initial consultation. This is a great way to find out how friendly and supportive the staff is.

This experience starts before your appointment. For example, can you access the new patient information forms online to fill them out in advance? Is the office clear on what information you need to bring for your appointment?

While you’re there, you’ll see office staff, nurses, and medical assistants and get a good idea of how they interact with their patients.

Some neurologists offer certain in-office neurodiagnostic procedures, so this is an important thing to consider. The last thing you want to do when you’re not feeling well is to drive to different locations and have multiple tests done.

Common neurodiagnostic tests to check for include:

Finding the Best Neurologist in Your Area

Following these tips will help you to find the best neurologist in your area. If you’re still searching Google for a “neurologist near me,” you won’t need to look any further than Neurocare of Nevada.

We treat all types of brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. We also treat many different conditions, such as muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease.

Our physician Dr. Chopra has triple board certification in brain injury medicine, neurology, and neurophysiology. Dr. Chopra has also treated patients in the Las Vegas area for over 20 years.

We focus on quality neurological care and look forward to helping you. Make sure you contact us today to schedule an appointment.