1. FIRST FIND OUT IF YOU NEED A REFERRAL FROM YOUR PCP OR ANOTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDER? 

 

Some insurances will need you or your family member to first meet with your Primary Care Physician or talk to a representative of your insurance provider to establish the necessity for testing and coverage. 

 

2. DOES YOUR INSURANCE COVER THE TESTING SERVICES?

 

SPS will assist you finding out about your insurance, but it is ultimately your responsibility to understand your insurance coverage and make a personal payment to SPS if coverage for the service is not authorized.

 

3. INITIATE THE EVALUATION PROCESS

 

The first step initiating the process with DATA is to place a call to our administrative team.  They will take down your information and conduct a short screening interview.  If neuropsychological testing is appropriate for you, we will send the paperwork to you or your family to speed up the process of collecting your information.  Our DATA staff are at hand to help with questions.  Anytime information is sent over the internet, we use a security platform called “Verifyle”.

 

4. YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT

 

You will be sent a reminder.  You will be given a date to come into our office for the testing.  If you are making an appointment for a family member, you may want to set a reminder on their calendar.  It is our general practice to call you or your family member the day before your testing appointment.  There is a waiting list for neuropsychological testing appointments, so, unfortunately you may have to wait for a few months to reschedule an appointment.

 

Plan on 2-3 hours in the office for testing. It is quite usual for people to ask for a break between tests.  

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Do everything as normal before the visit.   None of the tests require any scans or procedures that require fasting.  Eat your breakfast as usual and take any medications as you would normally do.  We recommend that you dress comfortable, bring a light jacket in case you are chilly, and have a snack with you, in case you need one.  Basically, do everything as normal, eat, drink, be well rested, take your medications as prescribed, bring a snack and or a light jacket, dress comfortably, etc.

 

Relax. Neuropsychological testing involves talking and taking some pen and paper tests.  The tests are collecting information about your memory, language, and overall how well your brain is functioning.  There are no needles, no scans, no procedures.  Just pen and paper tests, kind of like when you were in school.

 

5. PLANNING YOUR FOLLOW UP VISIT. 

 

As you leave your first appointment, the front desk will automatically schedule a follow up one-hour appointment for 3 weeks later.  During this appointment, you (and your family if involved) will be given the results of the testing and the doctor can answer questions about the results and recommendations.  The report will also be sent to your neurologist.