Before your evaluation
Get a good night's rest, and have a good breakfast or lunch.
We have snacks available, normally, but will be taking extra precautions
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Have the contact information for your referring physician and/or any other healthcare providers, family members, etc. that you would like to have access to your results.
Bring ID and Insurance Cards
Please bring secondary insurance if applicable.
Fill out any forms/questionnaires sent to you. (E-mail or Patient Portal)
If your referring doctor is not part of the CHRISTUS system,
please bring a list of medications.
Call and check your mental health benefits. We verify coverage as well, but what we are quoted by an insurance representative is not a guarantee of coverage. It is important to know your own coverage limitations so you are informed.
When calling to check benefits:
Call the members or behavioral health (BH) phone number on the back of your card.
Ask them what are your mental health benefits:
Do you have a copay?
Do you have a deductible? If so have you met it or how much is left?
What is your coverage for neuropsychological testing in an outpatient clinic?
Does testing require pre-authorization?
What to expect during the assessment
You will have a clinical interview with Dr. Ridenour to review your medical, social, and behavioral health histories. You, your family, and/or caretaker will discuss your symptoms, concerns, and any changes or abnormalities in your thought processing or memory and their onset and duration.
This will help him determine which tests to administer to gain the most information about your specific cognitive issues.
Depending on your insurance, this diagnostic or initial interview may occur on a day prior to your actual testing. This is due to the necessity of acquiring prior authorization before the tests can be administered.
After the clinical interview, either Dr. Ridenour or a trained graduate level psychometrists will administer a series of tests. The results of these tests will help determine which areas of the brain or cognition are being affected.
Please note that pre-authorization requires Dr. Ridenour to provide evidence that the tests are medically necessary. We try to submit the form as soon as possible on our side; however, each insurance takes a varying amount of time to provide us with an answer.
After the assessment
Dr. Ridenour will compile and analyze the data and then write a report summarizing his findings and diagnoses. He will provide any recommendations or referrals that he feels will aid in treatment planning.
The report will be reviewed with you and whomever you choose (such as family members or referring physician). Dr. Ridenour will explain the diagnosis and its implications, and he will also make referrals to any specialized therapies, organizations, or other clinicians that might be beneficial.
A copy of this report will be provided to you at your follow up visit, which should be scheduled before leaving the office. Follow-up sessions are typically 30-45 minutes and are scheduled 2-4 weeks from the completion of your assessment.