Capturing patients' experiences to change Parkinson's disease care delivery: a multicenter study

Real-World Evaluation of the Feasibility, Acceptability and Safety of a Remote, Self-Management Parkinson's Disease Care Pathway: A Healthcare Improvement Initiative

BACKGROUND

There is significant unmet need for effective and efficiently delivered care for people with Parkinson's disease (PwP). We undertook a service improvement initiative to co-develop and implement a new care pathway, Home Based Care (HBC), based on supported self-management, remote monitoring and the ability to trigger a healthcare contact when needed.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate feasibility, acceptability and safety of Home Based Care.

METHODS

We evaluated data from the first 100 patients on HBC for 6 months. Patient monitoring, performed at baseline and 6-monthly, comprised motor (MDS-UPDRS II and accelerometer), non-motor (NMSQ, PDSS-2, HADS) and quality of life (PDQ) measures. Care quality was audited against Parkinson's UK national audit standards. Process measures captured feasibility. Acceptability was assessed using a mixed-methods approach comprising questionnaires and semi-structured interviews.

RESULTS

Between October 2019 and January 2021, 108 PwP were enrolled onto HBC, with data from 100 being available at 6 months. Over 90% of all questionnaires were returned, 97% were complete or had < 3 missing items. Reporting and communications occurred within agreed timeframes. Compared with baseline, after 6m on HBC, PD symptoms were stable; more PwP felt listened to (90% vs. 79%) and able to seek help (79% vs. 68%). HBC met 93% of national audit criteria. Key themes from the interviews included autonomy and empowerment.

CONCLUSIONS

We have demonstrated acceptability, feasibility and safety of our novel remotely delivered Parkinson's care pathway. Ensuring scalability will widen its reach and realize its benefits for underserved communities, enabling formal comparisons with standard care and cost-effectiveness evaluation.

Patient reported experiences of community rehabilitation and/or support services for people with long term neurological conditions: a narrative review of quantitative studies

Objectives: 1. To identify validated quantitative Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREM's) being used in Community Rehabilitation and/or Support services for people with long term neurological conditions (PwLTNC). 2. To explore how data from quantitative PREM's adds to research on patient experiences of Community Rehabilitation and Support for PwLTNC.Method: Eight data bases were searched for peer reviewed studies (2005-2021) which met inclusion criteria. Data extraction and quality assessment for sixteen studies was performed by two reviewers. Narrative synthesis was conducted.Results: Eleven validated PREM's were identified which captured data for 15,831 PwLTNC. PREM scores indicated positive and negative experiences for people with Multiple Sclerosis (n = 13,123), Parkinson's Disease (n = 2215) and Acquired Brain Injury (n = 493). Negative experiences related to Picker Institute Principles: 1 (accessibility); 3 (coordination/continuity); 4 (involvement/support for family and carers); 5 (information provision), 6 (Involvement in decision making) and 7 (empathy and emotional support).Conclusion: Quantitative PREM's provide evidence of process quality and person-centred care within community rehabilitation and support services across large data sets of heterogeneous neurological conditions and geographical locations. Quality improvement initiatives for people with MS, PD and ABI should target processes relating to Picker Institute Principles 1,3,4,5,6, and 7.Implications for RehabilitationQuantitative validated Patient Reported Experience Measures can be used to evaluate process quality and person- centred care within community rehabilitation and support services for people with long term neurological conditions.Experiences of people with Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease and Acquired Brain Injury indicate the need for quality improvement in community rehabilitation.Training in communication skills and person-centred care may enhance information provision and support for self-management for people with long term neurological conditions.

Health care experiences of people with Parkinson's disease in Australia

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the health care experiences of people with Parkinson's disease (PwP) living in Australia. Exploring health care experiences can provide insight into service gaps which can then help direct quality improvement, such as improving communication between patients and health professionals.

METHODS

This study aimed to examine the health care experiences of a sample of PwP living in Australia using the Patient-Centered Questionnaire for Parkinson's disease (PCQ-PD). Participants were recruited from four sources located in Victoria, Australia: (1) a metropolitan Movement Disorders Program (Group 1); (2) metropolitan based movement disorder neurologists working as sole practitioners and not within multidisciplinary teams (Group 2); (3) a regional based multidisciplinary PD program (Group 3); and (4) PD support groups in regional and rural Victorian towns without PD specialist programs (Group 4). Scores derived from the PCQ-PD included the overall patient-centered score (OPS), six sub-scale experience scores (SES) and the quality improvement scores (QIS). Health care experiences were compared between Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 and multivariate linear regression models were used to explore factors contributing to patient-centeredness.

RESULTS

227 participants reported a mean (SD) OPS score of 1.8 (SD 0.5) with no significant differences between groups. The rating for the Tailored Information subscale was low, (mean 1.3, SD 0.5), with Group 2 having a significantly lower score, 1.1 (SD 0.5), compared to Group 1, 1.4 (SD 0.5) (p = 0.048). Experiences of Continuity of Care and Collaboration of Professionals were rated significantly lower by Group 2, 1.3 (SD 1.0) compared to Groups 1, 1.8 (SD 0.9) (p = 0.018) and 3, 2.1 (SD 0.8) (p = 0.002). Care aspects related to the Tailored Information subscale were prioritised for improvement by all groups. The main predictors of positive health care experiences were disease duration (coeff 0.02; 95% CI 0.00, 0.04) and living with another person (coeff 0.27: 95% CI 0.03, 0.51).

CONCLUSION

This sample of participants with PD had poor experiences of several aspects of care known to be important in the provision of quality PD care. They prioritised the improvement of personalised health care information and better continuity of care and collaboration between health professionals.

Adjusting to living with Parkinson's disease; a meta-ethnography of qualitative research

PURPOSE

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a condition which causes significant difficulties in physical, cognitive and psychological domains. It is a progressive condition which people have to live with for a long time; consequently, there is a need to understand what contributes to individual adjustment. This review aimed to answer the question "how do individuals adjust to PD?"

METHOD

A systematic search of three databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsycINFO) was carried out of papers documenting the adjustment process when living with PD and the findings were synthesised using a meta-ethnographic approach.

RESULTS

After exclusion based on eligibility criteria, 21 articles were included and were assessed for quality prior to analysing the data. Three main themes are proposed relating to the process of adjustment: "maintaining a coherent sense of self", "feeling in control" and "holding a positive mindset". Although many of the studies described challenges of living with PD, the results are dominated by the determination of individuals to self-manage their condition and maintain positive wellbeing.

CONCLUSION

The results highlight the need to empower patients to self-manage their illness, mitigating the effects of Parkinson's disease and supporting future wellbeing.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONIndividual identity disruption impacts on the self-value and sense of self coherence in individuals living with Parkinson's disease.Healthcare professionals should appreciate the complexity of the adjustment process which is related to the ability to maintain a coherent sense of self, to feel in control and to hold a positive mindset.Healthcare professionals should ensure information and knowledge related to self-management is tailored to an individual's understanding and experience of the disease.

Caring for patients with cognitive dysfunction, fluctuations and dementia caused by Parkinson's disease

Cognitive dysfunction is one of the most prevalent non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). While it tends to worsen in the later stages of disease, it can occur at any time, with 15-20% of patients exhibiting cognitive deficits at diagnosis (Aarsland et al., 2010; Goldman and Sieg, 2020). The characteristic features of cognitive dysfunction include impairment in executive function, visuospatial abilities, and attention, which vary in severity from subtle impairment to overt dementia (Martinez-Horta and Kulisevsky, 2019). To complicate matters, cognitive dysfunction is prone to fluctuate in PD patients, impacting diagnosis and the ability to assess progression and decision-making capacity. The diagnosis of cognitive impairment or dementia has a huge impact on patient independence, quality of life, life expectancy and caregiver burden (Corallo et al., 2017; Lawson et al., 2016; Leroi et al., 2012). It is therefore essential that physicians caring for patients with PD provide education, screening and treatment for this aspect of the disease. In this chapter, we provide a practical guide for the assessment and management of various degrees of cognitive dysfunction in patients with PD by approaching the disease at different stages. We address risk factors for cognitive dysfunction, prevention strategies prior to making the diagnosis, available tools for screening. Lastly, we review aspects of care, management and considerations, including decision-making capacity, that occur after the patient has been diagnosed with cognitive dysfunction or dementia.

Evaluation of Patients with Parkinson's Disease in Intensive Care Units: A Cohort Study

Background

Parkinson's disease affects approximately 1% of the worldwide population older than 60 years. This number is estimated to double by 2030, increasing the global burden of the disease. Patients with Parkinson's disease are hospitalized 1.5 times more frequently and for longer periods than those without the disease, increasing health-related costs.

Objective

To compare the characteristics and outcome of patients with and without Parkinson's disease admitted to intensive care units (ICUs).

Methods

Historical cohort study of ICU admissions in a Brazilian city over 18 years. All patients with Parkinson's disease identified were matched for age, sex, year, and place of hospitalization with patients without the disease randomly selected from the same database.

Results

The study included 231 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD group) and 462 controls without the disease (NPD group). Compared with patients in the NPD group, those in the PD group were more frequently admitted with lower level of consciousness and increased APACHE II severity score but required less frequently vasoactive drugs. In total, 42.4% of the patients in the PD group were admitted to the ICUs due to sepsis or trauma. Although these patients had longer hospital stay, the mortality rates were comparable between groups. Parkinson's disease was not associated with mortality, even when controlled for associated factors of disease severity.

Conclusion

Although patients with Parkinson's disease were admitted with higher severity scores and remained in the ICU for a longer time, their mortality rate was not higher than that in patients without the disease.

A qualitative exploration of the healthcare challenges and pharmaceutical care needs of people with Parkinson's and their caregivers

Background People with Parkinson’s are at higher risk of healthcare and pharmaceutical care issues. Objective To determine the healthcare challenges, pharmaceutical care needs, and perceived need of a pharmacist-run clinic by people with Parkinson’s and their caregivers. Setting Malaysian Parkinson’s Disease Association. Method A focus group discussion adopting a descriptive qualitative approach was conducted involving people with Parkinson’s and their caregivers. A semi-structured interview guide was used to determine the challenges they faced with their medications and healthcare system, their pharmaceutical care needs, and their views on a pharmacist-run clinic. Data was thematically analysed. Main outcome measure: Healthcare challenges faced by people with Parkinson’s and caregivers along with their pharmaceutical care needs and perceived need of a pharmacist-run clinic. Results Nine people with Parkinson’s and four caregivers participated. Six themes were developed: (1) “It’s very personalised”: the need for self-experimentation, (2) “Managing it is quite difficult”: challenges with medication, (3) “The doctor has no time for you”: challenges with healthcare providers, (4) “Nobody can do it except me”: challenges faced by caregivers, (5) “It becomes a burden”: impact on quality of life, and (6) “Lack of consistency could be counterproductive”: views on pharmacist-run clinic. Conclusion The provision of pharmaceutical care services by pharmacists could help overcome issues people with Parkinson’s face, however there is a need for them to first see pharmacists in their expanded roles and change their limited perception of pharmacists. This can be achieved through integration of pharmacists within multidisciplinary teams in specialist clinics which they frequent.

Patients' Perspective of Comprehensive Parkinson Care in Rural Victoria

Methods

This descriptive study used a survey to explore health-care experiences. Questionnaires were mailed to participants living in rural Victoria. Eligibility criteria included having a diagnosis of PD or Parkinsonism and sufficient English to respond to the survey. The validated Patient-Centred Questionnaire for PD was used to measure health-care experiences. The questions are grouped accordingly under one of the 6 subscales or domains. Outcomes from the questionnaire included summary experience scores (SES) for 6 subscales; overall patient-centeredness score (OPS); and quality improvement scores (QIS). Secondary outcomes included health-related quality of life using the disease-specific questionnaire PDQ39; disease severity using the Hoehn and Yahr staging tool; and disability using the Movement Disorders Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, part II.

Results

Thirty-nine surveys were returned from the East Gippsland group and 68 from the rural group. The East Gippsland group rated significantly more positive the subscales “empathy and PD expertise,” P=0.02, and “continuity and collaboration of professionals,” P=0.01. The groups did not differ significantly for the remaining 4 subscales (P > 0.05) nor for the OPS (P=0.17). The QIS showed both groups prioritised the health-care aspect “provision of tailored information” for improvement. Quality of life was greater (P < 0.05) and impairment (P=0.012) and disability were less (P=0.002) in the East Gippsland group.

Conclusion

Participants who received health care from the East Gippsland program had better key health-care experiences along with better QOL and less impairment and disability. Participants prioritised provision of information as needing further improvement.

Improving patient-centred care for persons with Parkinson's: Qualitative interviews with care partners about their engagement in discussions of "off" periods

OBJECTIVE

This study explored how care partners (CPs) of persons with Parkinson's (PwP) are engaged in discussions of "off" symptoms.

METHODS

During qualitative interviews, CPs of PwP sampled by convenience through the Michael J Fox Foundation online clinical trial matching service were asked to describe their familiarity with "off" symptoms, how "off" symptoms were discussed with clinicians, and the impact of "off" symptoms on them. Data were analysed using constant comparative technique by all members of the research team.

RESULTS

A total of 20 CPs were interviewed. Compared with PwP, they were more likely to describe "off" symptoms to clinicians. CPs identified important aspects of patient-centred care for PD: establishing a therapeutic relationship, soliciting and actively listening to information about symptoms, and providing self-management support to both PwP and CPs. CPs said that clinicians did not always engage CPs, ask about "off" symptoms or provide self-management guidance, limiting their ability to function as caregivers.

CONCLUSION

By not engaging and educating CPs, "off" symptoms may not be identified or addressed, leading to suboptimal medical management and quality of life for PwP. These findings must be confirmed on a broader scale through ongoing research but suggest the potential need for interventions targeted at clinicians and at CPs to promote patient-centred care for PwP.

Barriers and facilitators of communication about off periods in Parkinson's disease: Qualitative analysis of patient, carepartner, and physician Interviews

Background

Successful patient-physician communication is critical for improving health outcomes, but research regarding optimal communication practices in Parkinson’s disease is limited. The objective of the current study was to investigate barriers and facilitators of communication between persons with Parkinson’s disease, carepartners, and physicians, specifically in the setting of off periods, with the goal of identifying ways to improve patient-carepartner-physician communication.

Method

We interviewed persons with Parkinson’s, carepartners, and physicians (specialists and non-specialists) using a semi-structured questionnaire to identify and describe experiences, barriers, and facilitators relating to communication about off periods in Parkinson’s disease. We used a qualitative descriptive approach to analyze interview transcripts and compare themes between participating groups.

Results

Twenty persons with Parkinson’s and their carepartners and 20 physicians (10 specialists, 10 non-specialists) participated in interviews. Identified communication barriers included patient-level (e.g. cognitive impairment, reluctance to discuss symptoms), caregiver-level (e.g. caregiver absence), and physician-level (e.g. distraction by technology, lack of appreciation of the burden of off periods) factors. Other barriers included the challenging nature of off periods themselves. Positive physician characteristics such as empathy, respect, and taking time to listen were major facilitators of communication regarding off periods. Persons with Parkinson’s, carepartners, and physicians described using various tools (e.g. home diaries, questionnaires, mobile phone videos) to aid communication regarding off periods but participants identified a need for more formal educational materials.

Conclusions

Physicians caring for persons with Parkinson’s can improve communication through more patient-centered practice but there is a need for improved educational tools regarding off periods. Further research is needed to identify optimal strategies for communication about off periods and preferred approaches for off period education.

Technology-enabled management of communication and swallowing disorders in Parkinson's disease: a systematic scoping review

BACKGROUND

Communication and swallowing disorders are highly prevalent in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Maintenance of functional communication and swallowing over time is challenging for the person with PD and their families and may lead to social isolation and reduced quality of life if not addressed. Speech and language therapists (SLTs) face the conundrum of providing sustainable and flexible services to meet the changing needs of people with PD. Motor, cognitive and psychological issues associated with PD, medication regimens and dependency on others often impede attendance at a centre-based service. The access difficulties experienced by people with PD require a disruptive service approach to meet their needs. Technology-enabled management using information and telecommunications technologies to provide services at a distance has the potential to improve access, and enhance the quality of SLT services to people with PD.

AIMS

To report the status and scope of the evidence for the use of technology in the management of the communication and swallowing disorders associated with PD.

METHODS & PROCEDURES

Studies were retrieved from four major databases (PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE and Medline via Web of Science). Data relating to the types of studies, level of evidence, context, nature of the management undertaken, participant perspectives and the types of technologies involved were extracted for the review.

MAIN CONTRIBUTION

A total of 17 studies were included in the review, 15 of which related to the management of communication and swallowing disorders in PD with two studies devoted to participant perspectives. The majority of the studies reported on the treatment of the speech disorder in PD using Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT LOUD^® ). Synchronous and asynchronous technologies were used in the studies with a predominance of the former. There was a paucity of research in the management of cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders.

CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS

Research evidence supporting technology-enabled management of the communication and swallowing disorders in PD is limited and predominantly low in quality. The treatment of the speech disorder online is the most developed aspect of the technology-enabled management pathway. Future research needs to address technology-enabled management of cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders and the use of a more diverse range of technologies and management approaches to optimize SLT service delivery to people with PD.

Palliative Care for Patients and Families With Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide. There is widespread consensus that Parkinson patients, their carers, and clinicians involved in their care would benefit from a fully integrated, need-based provision of palliative care. However, the concept of palliative care in Parkinson's disease is still poorly defined and, consequently, poorly implemented into daily clinical practice. A particular challenge is the gradually progressive nature of Parkinson's disease-with insidiously increasing disability-making it challenging to clearly define the onset of palliative care needs for Parkinson patients. As people with Parkinson's disease are now living longer than in the past, future research needs to develop a more robust evidence-based approach to clarify the disease events associated with increased palliative care needs, and to examine these, prospectively, in an integrated palliative care service. The modern palliative care outlook, termed "simultaneous care,",is no longer restricted to the final stage of disease. It involves incorporating a continuity of care, effective management of the chronic-palliative interface, and a multidisciplinary network of professionals working both in the community and in specialized clinics, with active involvement of caregivers. Although promising, there is still a need to demonstrate the effectiveness of palliative care for patients with Parkinson's disease.

Multidisciplinary Collaboration in Professional Networks for PD A Mixed-Method Analysis

BACKGROUND

ParkinsonNet, a nationwide organization with regionally oriented professional health networks in TheNetherlands, aims to improve the quality of Parkinson care. Facilitation of multidisciplinary collaboration is a key objective of ParkinsonNet.

OBJECTIVES

This study examined whether the concept enhances multidisciplinary collaboration between healthcare professionals involved in Parkinson care.

METHODS

A regional network involving 101 healthcare professionals was newly established. Participants received two questionnaires. One aimed at documenting direct working relationships ('connections') between professionals and the other aimed at evaluating multidisciplinary team performance. Additionally, thirteen healthcare professionals were interviewed to identify barriers and facilitators for multidisciplinary collaboration. 'Social network analysis' focused on sub-networks around three community hospitals at baseline and one year after the implementation.

RESULTS

The number of 'knowing each other' connections increased from 1431 to 2175 (52% , p <  0.001) and 'professional contact' connections increased from 664 to 891 (34% , p <  0.001). Large differences between sub-networks were found, positive changes being associated with a central role of neurologists and nurse specialists committed to multidisciplinary care. The perceived team performance did not change. Participants experienced problems with information exchange and interdisciplinary communication. Generally, participants were unaware of other healthcare professionals involved in individual patients and what treatments they provide simultaneously.

CONCLUSIONS

ParkinsonNet partially enhanced multidisciplinary collaboration between healthcare professionals involved in Parkinson care. Crucial facilitators of this were a central role of nurse specialists and the commitment to collaborate with and refer to expert therapists among neurologists. Additional measures are needed to further improve multidisciplinary care across different institutions and around individual patients.

Moving Parkinson care to the home

In many ways, the care of individuals with Parkinson disease does not meet their needs. Despite the documented benefits of receiving care from clinicians with Parkinson disease expertise, many patients (if not most) do not. Moreover, current care models frequently require older individuals with impaired mobility, cognition, and driving ability to be driven by overburdened caregivers to large, complex urban medical centers. Moving care to the patient's home would make Parkinson disease care more patient-centered. Demographic factors, including aging populations, and social factors, such as the splintering of the extended family, will increase the need for home-based care. Technological advances, especially the ability to assess and deliver care remotely, will enable the transition of care back to the home. However, despite its promise, this next generation of home-based care will have to overcome barriers, including outdated insurance models and a technological divide. Once these barriers are addressed, home-based care will increase access to high quality care for the growing number of individuals with Parkinson disease. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.