Practice patterns in neurology in India

Sixteen Indian neurologists saw 1,850 patients over a sample 6-day working week. The average daily workload comprised 19 patients including 11 new cases. Epilepsy (27.0%), headache (19.0%) and cerebrovascular disorders (7.8%) were the commonest problems. Only 2.5% fell in the ICD-9-CM categories 780-799 consisting of symptoms, signs and ill-defined conditions. In 43% it was felt that the neurologic consult was not necessary. In the Indian setting this would suggest that emphasis should be on neurologic education of primary care physicians and internists for the appropriate utilization of limited resources.