Quality improvement in neurology: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Quality Measures Report of the Quality Measurement and Reporting Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology

摘要

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a lethal, pro- gressive, neurodegenerative disease characterized by loss of motor neurons (1). Most patients die from respiratory failure 2 to 5 years after onset of symp- toms. Cognitive dysfunction is seen in 20-50% of patients (2). The disease burden for patients and caregivers is enormous. The average cost of care in the US has been estimated at $50,000 per patient per year (3).