About our practice
- What happens during the initial visit?
- What is a comprehensive neurological examination?
- What should I bring to each visit?
- What about Follow-Up Visits?
- What special programs are available at the Neurology Center of Fairfax, Ltd.?
- Physician Extenders
- How do I contact the doctor when a problem arises?
- How do I obtain the results of tests ordered by my physician?
- How do I obtain prescription refills?
- What hospitals does the Neurology Center of Fairfax, Ltd., utilize?
- What if I need pre-certification for radiology or other studies or for medications?
- What if I need pre-certification for physical, occupational and speech therapy?
- Telephone Case Management Services
- Automated Phone Answering
- What about cancelled or missed appointments?
- What if I'm going to be late for my appointment?
- Appointment Reminders
What happens during the initial visit?
Prior to your initial visit, please prepare a brief chronology of your neurological history, outlining your symptoms, when they began, when and how they have changed, tests you have had with results, medications you have received for treatment and their effect, medications you are currently taking for any reason, with the dose and any non-prescription or alternative medications you are taking. Please bring a copy of the results of any testing you have had performed for your neurological problem and copies of all MRI pictures or the disk with images to your initial visit. For your initial visit, please arrive 20 minutes ahead of your scheduled appointment time to complete the necessary paperwork. You will be asked to provide patient demographic and insurance information, and to complete a medical history form. These forms may be downloaded from our website and completed prior to your visit. This information will enable the doctor and staff to better serve you. Your first visit is devoted to a complete neurological history and a comprehensive neurological examination. This visit will usually take 45 minutes to 1 hour. It is considerably longer than most follow-up visits.
What is a comprehensive neurological examination?
Because the nervous system is complex, the neurological history and examination will explore a wide variety of body functions. The neurological examination will include tests of speech, memory, vision, strength, reflexes, coordination, balance, mobility and sensation. The examination may indicate that further tests are required.
A plan for the diagnosis and/or treatment of your neurological problem will be formulated at your first visit. Your neurologist will discuss any tests with you. A schedule for testing and follow-up visits will be established. Educational materials and resources may be provided.
A full report of your consultation will be sent to your referring physician and your primary care physician. Please be sure to give us the name of your primary care physician.
What should I bring to each visit?
- A complete list of all your medications, including non-prescription medications and vitamins, and the dose you take. (You should carry a complete list of all your medications with you at all times.)
- We will be happy to copy your medicatin list when you come to the office.
- A government-issued picture identification card.
- All of your insurance cards, which we will copy at every visit.
- A check, cash or credit card to pay all co-pays, co-insurance and deductibles at the time of service.
What about Follow-Up Visits?
Follow-up visits are usually shorter visits with your neurologist or the nurse practitioner. Follow-up visits allow your neurologist or nurse practitioner to review your progress, address new problems, review test results, adjust treatment, refill prescriptions and conduct any needed discussions. You may also meet with one of our nurses. If you have multiple, complex neurological problems, your neurologist may not be able to address all of your problems in detail in a single follow-up visit and we will schedule another follow-up visit for you. Additional tests may be ordered.
Forms for follow-up visits can be downloaded from our website. These include the specific forms for patients with Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease and Sleep Disorders.
Please arrive at the office 15 minutes before your scheduled follow-up appointment time to complete all necessary paperwork to be ready to see your doctor on time.
What special programs are available at the Neurology Center of Fairfax, Ltd.?
Comprehensive programs for Neurological Diagnosis and Treatment include:
- Parkinson's Disease and other Movement Disorders
- Parkinson's Disease Support Group
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Multiple Sclerosis Support Groups
- Neuromuscular Diseases
- Botulinum toxin treatment of neurological disorders
- Memory disorders
- Seizure disorders
- Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease
- Headache
- Peripheral nerve disorders
- Sleep disorders
Physician Extenders
Physician extenders (Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, or Clinical Nurse Specialist) are a part of our care team and allow us to provide better service to our patients. You may make your follow-up appointment with one of our physician extenders, who work with your neurologist to provide neurological care for you. The physician extenders provide neurological diagnosis and testing, start or modify treatment, refill prescriptions, meet educational needs and perform trigger point injections. You will not always see the doctor during your visit with our physician extenders. You are always able to schedule an appointment with your neurologist should you desire.
How do I contact the doctor when a problem arises?
In the event of a life-threatening emergency, dial 911 and proceed to the nearest hospital emergency room for immediate care.
If you are seen at either the Fairfax or Reston office and need to contact your doctor between appointments, please call the Patient Care Line at 703-876-0800 or 703-849-9447 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. weekdays. The line is closed from Noon to 1:00 p.m. for lunch. At all other times, please call the main number 703-876-0800. Our answering service will take your message and contact the doctor on call. Please provide our nursing triage representative or the answering service with as much pertinent information as possible. Organize and write down your problems before calling, so that you can describe your symptoms and ask your questions. This will help our staff and answering service understand your problems and correctly convey the information. If a phone call is an emergency, please make this clear.
If you are unable to reach our answering service after hours or on weekends through our automated line, call 703-755-1450 to be connected directly to our answering service. This backup number allows you to be connected directly to our answering service.
Our office nursing triage representatives will communicate with your doctor or other nursing staff about your problem. Urgent calls will be returned as soon as possible. Other phone calls should be answered within two working days by our nursing triage representatives.
How do I obtain the results of tests ordered by my physician?
All of your testing, laboratory, and radiology results will be discussed with you at your next office visit. These results may require further explanation or additional testing that can best be done at an office visit, rather than over the telephone. Please schedule your follow-up visit before you leave the office. Allow enough time for us to receive your test results before your follow-up visit (usually 5 - 7 days). The Patient Care Line does not have your test results, and cannot discuss test results with you.
How do I obtain prescription refills?
All prescriptions and refills must be obtained during your office visit. Please tell the assistant and your doctor which medications you need. This ensures that you receive the correct medication and dose, and provides you with the best medical care. Prescription refill requests require an office visit, so your neurologist can review your current medications, laboratory results, and any changes in your medical history.
Only emergency prescriptions will be refilled without an office visit. For an emergency prescription refill please call during office hours only the Patient Care Line 703-849-9447 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. workdays. The line is closed from Noon to 1:00 p.m. for lunch. Please call 703-876-0800 to schedule a follow-up visit to obtain your usual refills.
When you call the Patient Care Line for an emergency prescription refill, please have your prescription bottle available with the medication name, strength and dosage, as well as the pharmacy name and fax number. All requests for medication refills require approval by your doctor before they can be refilled. This usually requires 24 hours. If approved, your refill will be faxed to your pharmacy the next business day. We do not “call in” prescriptions due to the risk of error.
There is a charge of $15.00 for the first three (3) prescriptions refilled on any day. If you require more than three prescription refills, you will need to schedule an appointment to be seen in the office. The doctor may at any time request that you be seen in the office to obtain your refills. If you have recently been seen by your doctor, you can request an appointment with our physician extenders or our nursing staff to obtain your medication refills. Prescriptions are not refilled at night, on weekends or on holidays to avoid potential errors.
What hospitals does the Neurology Center of Fairfax, Ltd., utilize?
Our doctors have privileges at Inova Fairfax Hospital and Reston Hospital Center. Our doctors serve as consulting physicians to your hospital admitting doctor during your hospital stay. They do not serve as the admitting physician. Your hospital admitting doctor must request that one of our physicians be called in consultation.
What if I need pre-certification for radiology or other studies or for medications?
If your insurance company requires a pre-certification for radiology, medications or other studies, we will try to assist you with this. Please allow us five (5) to seven (7) business days to process your authorization through your insurance company. Questions about denials of coverage should be directed to your insurance company. We will help you with appeals for denial of coverage. We will contact you once we have obtained authorization for radiology or other studies. Your pharmacy will contact you about medication authorizations.
What if I need pre-certification for physical, occupational and speech therapy?
Medicare and other health insurance carriers require periodic recertification to continue physical, occupational and speech therapy and home healthcare services. In order to comply with this requirement you may need to be seen by your neurologist or physician extender or by our nurse who will review your care with your physician. Prior to this visit for recertification or any recertification of services, we must have a current written progress report from your therapist including the recommendation that treatment be continued. It is your responsibility to see that we have this report prior to your visit or request for recertification. Without this report we will not be able to prescribe further therapy.
Telephone Case Management Services
The Neurology Center of Fairfax, Ltd., provides nurses for telephone case management services. These nurses consult with your neurologist to convey medical decisions to you or to other health care providers. You may be charged for case management services provided by telephone. Depending on your problem, it may be necessary for you to make an appointment with your neurologist to review your neurological problems or with your family doctor for other problems.
Many patients call frequently with lengthy questions and medical assistance needs. Rather than increase fees to all patients to cover the costs of telephone services for only some patients, the Neurology Center of Fairfax, Ltd., may charge for telephone calls and other case management services in accordance with the American Medical Association Current Procedural Guidelines for those services. Charges will be based on the length of the telephone calls and the nature of the medical services provided. Infrequent and brief calls may not be charged. If your health plan requires an insurance referral for these telephone or case management services, it is your responsibility to obtain the referral.
Automated Phone Answering:
To provide better service to you and to expedite telephone calls throughout the Neurology Center of Fairfax, Ltd., we have installed an automated phone answering system.
When you dial our central numbers (703) 876-0800 for both the Fairfax office and the Reston office, you will be greeted with a menu. Please listen to all the menu options before making a selection. You will have options to make appointments, get directions, ask questions of the doctor or a nurse, request prescription refills, discuss billing issues, arrange for copying medical records, arrange for disability forms to be completed, dial an extension directly or speak to a patient services representative.
If you are dialing from a rotary phone, please stay on the line after the menu has been given and you will be connected to the appointment desk.
What about cancelled or missed appointments?
Your appointment time has been set aside with your doctor or for scheduled testing. This time is unavailable to other patients who have neurological problems and who need to be seen. Therefore, we request at least 24 hours advance notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment or you will be charged a cancellation fee. This fee is not covered by your insurance. If an emergency prevents you from keeping your appointment, please let us know. Appointment reminder calls are a courtesy. Should you not receive a reminder telephone call, it is still your responsibility to remember your appointment.
It is your responsibility to keep your scheduled appointment. If you do not cancel your appointment at least 24 hours in advance or if you miss your appointment, you will be charged a cancellation fee. This fee is not covered by your insurance.
Late policy
Any patient who is 15 minutes or more late for an appointment may need to have their appointment rescheduled for another day. If you are more than 15 minutes late, we will make every effort to see you the same day if possible, but you may have to wait until there is a break in the schedule to be seen. Although we appreciate the demands of travelling in Northern Virginia, we also cannot inconvenience other patients who are on time for their appointments.
Appointment Reminders
We have implemented a computerized personal appointment reminder system called HouseCalls. This system provides a reminder call for upcoming appointments. Our appointment reminder system will call you at home two days prior to your scheduled appointment to confirm the day and time of your next appointment. If you are not available, the system will leave a message on your answering machine. If your home telephone system blocks calls, or if you do not have an answering machine, HouseCalls will not be able to leave you an appointment reminder message. You will not receive any other reminder of your appointment. This reminder is a courtesy call.
If you did not schedule an appointment after your last visit, we will attempt to mail a postcard reminder to you 30-60 days in advance of your appointment time to remind you to call for a follow-up appointment. However it is your responsibility to schedule your follow-up visit at the appropriate time.
Disclaimer
The information provided by neurologycenteroffairfax.com is for informational purposes only. Do not rely on neurologycenteroffairfax.com or any site accessed through neurologycenteroffairfax.com for medical advice. The content on this site is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, treatment, or diagnosis. Always consult your physician or other health care provider for any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have questions about your health, you should consult your personal physician. If you think you have a medical emergency, dial 911 immediately.