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Treatment Comfort of Adult Neurologists in Childhood Onset Conditions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2014

M. Oskoui  and
C. Wolfson
M. Oskoui*
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatric Neurology, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
C. Wolfson
Affiliation:
Research Institute, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
*
Department of Pediatrics and Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, 2300 Tupper street, A-512, Montreal, Quebec, H3H 1P3, Canada.
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Abstract

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Background:

The majority of children with chronic neurodevelopmental disabilities are surviving to adulthood. Our goal was to assess how prepared and comfortable adult neurologists are in treating young adults with childhood onset chronic neurological conditions and evaluate the difficulty pediatric neurologists experience when transferring these patients to adult care.

Methods:

We conducted a cross-sectional study using two postal surveys of all pediatric and adult neurologists in the province of Quebec, Canada.

Results:

The response rate was 51.5%, with 119 neurologists completing the survey. Half of neurologists agreed that adult neurologists may not have adequate training in childhood onset disorders to prepare them to manage the disorders in adulthood, and 60% of pediatric neurologists reported having difficulty finding an adult provider for their patients. Adult neurologists were least comfortable treating patients with autism, chromosomal or metabolic disorders, and cognitive or behavioral disorders.

Conclusion:

Almost half of those surveyed believed that adult neurologists are not adequately trained to care for this growing patient population. Improving treatment comfort and knowledge among adult neurologists in childhood onset chronic neurological conditions may smooth the transition of these young adults from pediatric to adult care.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences , Volume 39 , Issue 2 , March 2012 , pp. 202 - 205
Copyright
Copyright © The Canadian Journal of Neurological 2012

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