Quick Answer
Transferring neurology care works when the actual documents move with you: imaging reports and images, study measurements, and a medication history recording doses and why each was stopped. Book before your current prescription runs out. Where testing is indicated it is performed in our AANEM-accredited laboratories and read in-house.
Part ofThis guide sits beneath epilepsy and seizures, which covers the study itself, how it is performed and what the report should contain.
our Epilepsy and Seizures hub →Key Takeaways
- Request the actual documents rather than summary letters. Images and measurements allow comparison; conclusions do not.
- Bring the medication history in usable form: what was tried, at what dose, for how long, and why it stopped.
- Book the new appointment before your current prescription runs out, because a supply gap is the commonest harm.
- Records requests take weeks, so start them as soon as you decide rather than after booking.
- A partial record is considerably better than none, and the appointment still proceeds without it.
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a brain disorder characterised by a lasting predisposition to unprovoked seizures. A seizure is a burst of abnormal, synchronised electrical activity; epilepsy is the underlying tendency for those bursts to recur.
What to move, and what gets lost if you do not
Changing neurologist is common and the practical failures are predictable enough to prevent. Almost all of them are about records rather than about clinical care.
Request the actual documents, not a summary letter
This is the single point that matters most. A letter stating that an MRI was normal cannot be compared against a scan taken two years later; the images can. A note saying a nerve study was abnormal is unusable; the measurements allow a comparison that shows whether something has progressed. The same applies to EEG: the actual report rather than a statement of its conclusion. For a long-term condition, the historical measurements are frequently the most valuable thing you own, and they are the thing most often left behind.
The medication history, in the form that is actually useful
Not just what you take now. Which medications were tried, at what doses, for how long, and why each was stopped. That last detail changes decisions: a medication stopped for side effects at a low dose is a candidate for retrying; one that genuinely failed at full dose for three months is not. Without it, a new clinician either repeats a failed trial or avoids something that was never properly tested.
For epilepsy specifically
Seizure frequency over time, which establishes whether control has been improving or deteriorating. The actual EEG reports. Any prior imaging. And a note of what your seizures look like, since a description recorded when events were fresh is better than one reconstructed years later.
Timing, and the gap worth avoiding
Book the new appointment before your current prescription runs out. A supply gap is the commonest harm in a transfer, and for epilepsy a missed period of medication carries real risk. Requests between practices and across states take weeks, so start them as soon as you decide rather than after the first appointment is booked.
| Also considered | How it is distinguished |
|---|---|
| Syncope (fainting) | Warning lightheadedness, pallor and rapid recovery; a witnessed account usually separates it from a seizure. |
| Provoked seizures | Triggered by alcohol withdrawal, very low sodium or glucose, or acute illness — treating the provocation comes first. |
| Functional (non-epileptic) events | Episodes without epileptic activity on EEG; ambulatory or prolonged recording is often what settles it. |
| Sleep and movement disorders | Events arising only from sleep may need overnight or multi-day recording to classify. |
How the practice handles a transfer
01
What brings people in
A first witnessed event, spells of uncertain cause, or seizures that continue despite treatment.
02
What the evaluation settles
Whether the events are epileptic, whether they are focal or generalised, and whether an EEG or a longer recording is needed to classify them.
03
What you leave with
A classification where the recording supports one, a medication and safety plan including driving guidance, and a follow-up interval.
What to send and how
Records requests go through medical records, and it is usually faster to request them yourself from the previous practice than to have one practice request from another. Bring what you have to the first appointment even if it is incomplete; a partial record is considerably better than none, and the gaps can be filled afterwards.
What the first appointment does
Establishes the history, examines you, and reviews what has been tried. It is not a fresh start that discards everything: the point of bringing records is that management continues rather than restarts. Where records have not arrived, the appointment still proceeds and is more useful with a written timeline than without.
Coverage and referral checked first
Whether your plan requires a referral is established before the appointment rather than at check-in, along with any prior authorisation. Detail is on the insurance page.
Continuity afterwards
Where a study will be repeated over years, having it performed at the same office each time keeps the comparison interpretable, since technique and equipment affect the numbers. Both offices are on the locations page and both perform all six in-office studies.
The first 30, 60 and 90 days
Step 1
First visit
History and neurological examination, a review of records and prior imaging, and a decision on which studies are actually indicated. You leave with the plan, not just a referral.
Step 2
Within 30 days
Indicated in-office studies are performed and interpreted by the neurologist who ordered them, in our AANEM-accredited laboratories. Results are explained in plain language.
Step 3
60 to 90 days
Follow-up to judge whether the plan is working, adjust it, and coordinate with your referring clinician. Where a diagnosis needs time to confirm, this is where it is revisited.
Moving your care or choosing a practice?
Request the actual documents rather than summary letters. That single step matters most.
The Bottom Line
Request the actual documents, bring the medication history with doses and reasons, and book before the prescription runs out.
Frequently Asked Questions
What records should I request?
The actual documents rather than summary letters: imaging reports and ideally the images, the measurements from any nerve study, and the actual EEG reports. A letter saying something was normal cannot be compared against a later study; the underlying data can. Requesting them in electronic form, where that is available, makes them easier to share.
Why does the medication history matter so much?
Because which medications were tried, at what doses, for how long and why each was stopped changes decisions. A drug stopped for side effects at a low dose is a candidate for retrying; one that failed at full dose for three months is not. Bringing the actual bottles, or a pharmacy dispensing history, removes the guesswork.
When should I book the new appointment?
Before your current prescription runs out. A supply gap is the commonest harm in a transfer, and for epilepsy a missed period of medication carries real risk. Bring enough medication to cover the period until that appointment, and ask about a bridging prescription if the wait is long. Never stop an anti-seizure medication to see what happens.
How long do records take to arrive?
Weeks, particularly between practices or across states, which is why requests should start as soon as you decide rather than after the appointment is booked. It is usually faster to request them yourself than to have one practice request from another. A signed release sent directly to the previous practice is usually the fastest route.
What if my records have not arrived by the appointment?
The appointment still proceeds and is considerably more useful with a written timeline than without. A partial record beats none, and the gaps can be filled afterwards. Writing down dates, medication names and doses from memory beforehand is a useful substitute while the formal records catch up, and it costs nothing to prepare.
Will I have to start all my testing again?
Not if the historical measurements arrive. That is the point of bringing them: management continues rather than restarts, and a comparison against your own earlier study is frequently the most useful information available. Where a study genuinely does need repeating, it is because the clinical question has changed rather than because the earlier result is missing.
What should I do about driving in the meantime?
Do not drive until it has been discussed, and raise it at the appointment rather than waiting to be asked. Restrictions follow a seizure immediately and Nevada applies its own framework case by case, so what applies to you is worked through individually rather than quoted as a fixed interval.
Can I bring someone who saw the event?
Please do, and it is the single most useful thing you can arrange. What a witness saw carries more diagnostic weight than a normal EEG, because classification rests substantially on description. If they cannot attend, a written account with times, or a short recording made soon afterwards, preserves detail that fades within days.
Will my medication be changed at the first visit?
Not usually, and not before the events have been classified. What happens first is establishing whether they are epileptic, whether they are focal or generalised, and what was genuinely tried before at what dose. A drug stopped early for side effects is a different situation from one that failed at full dose.
What happens after the appointment?
You leave with an explanation and either a plan or a specific study ordered to answer a specific question, plus a follow-up interval. Where testing is indicated it is performed in-office and interpreted by the ordering neurologist. Your referring clinician receives the findings, so care continues rather than stopping at the door.
How this page was sourced
Practice facts come from Clinical Neurology Specialists directly: two offices each performing all six in-office studies, nine clinicians, independently accredited electrodiagnostic laboratories, EEG interpretation held in-house with fellowship training in epilepsy, and adults 18 and older only. Clinical context is sourced to the organisations listed below.
No opening hours, appointment intervals, insurance participation or record-request turnaround times are stated as figures, because none is confirmed for publication. Nevada driving requirements are referred to rather than quoted. Scope is adults 18 and older.
Change log
- 2026-07-28 — page published; clinical content reviewed.
- 2026-07-28 — last reviewed against AAN, AANEM and NINDS guidance; internal links and schema verified.
- Review cadence: quarterly, or sooner if guidance changes.
How to cite this page
Clinical Neurology Specialists. “How to transfer to a new neurologist.” Reviewed 2026-07-28. https://www.cnsnevada.com/conditions/epilepsy-seizures/how-to-transfer-to-a-new-neurologist/
References
- American Epilepsy Society — clinical guidance on epilepsy diagnosis and management.
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke — the reference catalogue of nervous-system disorders.
- American Academy of Neurology — practice guidance and specialist supply.
This page is for general information about a Clinical Neurology Specialists office and is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment recommendation. It does not create a physician-patient relationship. Adults 18 and older. For an active stroke, a first-time or prolonged seizure, sudden severe headache, sudden weakness, sudden vision loss, or a head injury with loss of consciousness, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.