Office Visits to Neurologists: United States, 1991-92

Advance Data 267.  During 1991-92, an estimated 14.5 million visits were made in the United States to nonfederally employed, office-based physicians specializing in neurology, the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the nervous system -- an average of 7.3 million visits per year. This report summarizes data pertaining to office visits to neurologists in terms of physician practice characteristics, patient characteristics, and visit characteristics.

Data Highlights:

On average, 2.9 visits per 100 persons per year were made to neurologists during 1991-92. This specialty received 1.0 percent of all office visits made to ambulatory care physicians during the 2-year period.

The majority of neurology visits (95.4 percent) were made to doctors of medicine; 4.6 percent were made to doctors of osteopathy.

Visit rates were significantly higher for persons age 25 years and over compared with those under age 25 years. However, no significant differences were noted among visit rates for persons aged 24-44 years, 45-64 years, 65-74 years, and 75 years and over.

Females had a higher visit rate to neurologists than did males (3.3 visits per 100 females per year compared with 2.5 visits per 100 males). White persons made 91.1 percent of all visits to specialists in neurology, and black persons made 7.0 percent of all visits to specialists in neurology.

While 60.5 percent of neurology visits were made by patients returning for care of a previously treated problem, more than one-third (35.8 percent) were made by new patients.

This page last reviewed January 11, 2007