Diagnostic delay in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Prompt ALS diagnosis results in more effective clinical management, with earlier access to disease-modifying therapies, multidisciplinary care, and, if desired, clinical trial involvement. Due to lack of commercially available ALS biomarkers, alternative strategies to identify and triage patients likely suffering from ALS must be employed. Several diagnostic tools have been developed to encourage general practitioners to consider ALS and make an urgent referral to ALS specialists, bypassing unnecessary referrals to non-neurologists and unnecessary diagnostic workup.