Marcello Matiello, MD – Harvard University:
In many aspects, a primary care physician is a critical team player. We know that NMO patients need a team of doctors and healthcare workers helping them with many different symptoms. The experience we have from our practice is that usually most patients will have a primary care physician, a local neurologist, and an NMO specialist, and the primary care physician will be responsible for checking regular blood work. In many instances, also testing for liver and kidney function and also organizing some of the services near the patient’s home, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and providing a lot of the first contact for emergencies as well.