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What Does the Research Say?
Functional Neurological Disorders: Why So Few Patients Get the Care They Need
FND is one of the most common diagnoses in neurology. Yet a massive gap persists between available evidence-based treatments and the care most patients actually receive.
Provider Level
Minimal FND training in foundational education
Many clinicians receive little or no instruction on FND recognition, rule-in signs, or evidence-based treatment during their training.
System Level
Single-specialty silos impede collaboration
FND requires integrated multidisciplinary care, but neurology, psychiatry, and rehabilitation are often organizationally separate.
Patient Level
Stigma and disengagement from past invalidation
Years of dismissive encounters leave patients distrustful. Building therapeutic engagement requires skill and consistent positive experiences.
Access Level
Specialized services remain geographically rare
Dedicated FND programs are concentrated in academic centers. Rural and underserved populations face the greatest access barriers.
The Evidence-Based Solution: Transdisciplinary Ambulatory Care
A service evaluation found that implementing an evidence-based ambulatory FND care model was associated with significant reductions in emergency department presentations. Comprehensive outpatient management can avert costly acute care that is often unhelpful for FND patients. Investing in these programs is both clinically effective and potentially cost-saving.
3 Takeaways for Your Practice
1
Professional Development
Seek FND-Specific Training. Your Patients Need It.
Workshops, continuing education courses, and online modules can fill the gap that foundational education left. Even informal learning transforms how you assess and treat FND patients.
2
Care Coordination
Build Referral Pathways Even Without a Dedicated Program
If your setting lacks a formal FND clinic, identify local neurologists, psychologists, and therapists with FND experience and create informal referral networks. Coordinated care beats siloed care every time.
3
Stepped Care Design
Match Treatment Intensity to Patient Needs
Not every patient needs intensive multidisciplinary rehabilitation. A stepped care model gives all patients psychoeducation and basic support, reserving intensive programs for those with severe or treatment-resistant presentations.
This content is for informational purposes for licensed clinicians and does not constitute medical advice or a substitute for your own clinical research and judgment. Content may include AI-synthesized information; all clinical data, protocols, and dosages must be verified against official primary sources prior to patient care. Any reference to CE rules or regulations is provided as a guide and must be independently verified against current governing body requirements prior to completing credits. This article may contain links to external websites or third-party AI platforms. Ridley Learning has no control over the nature, content, and availability of those sites and does not necessarily endorse the views expressed within them. Ridley Learning is not liable for any injury, loss, clinical outcomes, or licensure issues resulting from the use of or reliance on this information. Your use of this site constitutes acceptance of these terms.
Meet the Author: Anne Osborn, PT, MPT
Anne Perry Osborn is a distinguished physical therapist and entrepreneur with over two decades of experience bridging clinical practice and healthcare education. She holds a Master of Physical Therapy from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and currently serves as the Owner and Director of Quality and Accreditation at Ridley Learning. With a background that includes clinical roles in outpatient rehabilitation and home health, Anne brings practical, hands-on insight to her leadership in continuing education, ensuring that learning opportunities remain relevant and impactful for today's practitioners.
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