'Brain Waves' posts

Defining Tertiary Care for Neurological Diseases

Health care for patients with neurological diseases in the United States occurs across mul­tiple levels, ranging from primary to tertiary care and, less common­ly, quaternary care.

The World Health Organization has defined primary care as the point where first medical contact occurs, and where coordination and continu­ity of medical services is managed. Primary care focuses on a broad range of ser­vices, rather than the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of a specific organ system, and thus primary-care providers (PCPs) have varying levels of comfort in the treatment of neurologi­cal disorders.

Secondary care is provided by specialists, such as general neurologists, who focus on dis­eases affecting a specific organ system, usually upon referral by a PCP. Both primary care and secondary care are provided in an outpatient setting or a general hospital setting.

Tertiary neurological care is provid­ed by subspecialists who treat a subset of conditions that affect the nervous system. Examples include:

Unfundable: Clinical trials for rare diseases and orphan drugs



Commercial potential alone does not determine value


Results 15-16 of 16