2. The neurological consultation

A diagnosis and treatment plan is drawn up following history-taking and clinical examination at the bedside or in the consulting room. These elements of every consultation are vital to good practice and save a good deal of time, money, problems and uncertainty, provided they are carried out properly. Each element of history-taking, clinical examination and diagnostic testing has a particular diagnostic value, changing the prior probability into a posterior probability. If the prior probability is low it will often be decided not to carry out any further tests unless diagnosing the condition has major consequences for the patient.