Outpatient care of patients with Parkinson disease

INTRODUCTION: Some neurology clinics have been set up in specialist centres during the last ten years and their activities described. The group of patients with Parkinson's disease attended in the clinics of specialist centres have the distinguishing feature of where they are treated, which makes them different to other groups with the same disorder. OBJECTIVE: In this article we describe the general data of neurological attention for patients with Parkinson's disease, seen in two clinics belonging to specialist centres. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This article is based on records of patients made by neurologists of two structured centres in Hospital La Fe. RESULTS: In a period of 18 months 228 patients with Parkinson's disease were recorded out of a total case register of 5,101. Patients with Parkinson's disease made up between 4% and 5% of the patients attending the clinic. Between 30% and 50% of the patients seen in these clinics were evaluated only once during the period recorded. CONCLUSIONS: There seems to be a large number of cases recorded and these represent 70% of the estimated number of cases in the area. It seems that some patients do not keep in contact with the neurologist. Differences in function noted in clinics of specialist centres, between each other and compared with hospitals, are due to specific organizations and structures.