Multidisciplinary care for people with Parkinson’s disease: the new kids on the block!

Abstract

Telephone number: +31-0243615202 Word count for abstract: 200. Word count for text: 7143 words. Number of references: 139. Number of figures: 2. Number of tables: 2. AbstractIntroduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic multisystem disorder that causes a wide variety of motor and non-motor symptoms. Over time, the progressive nature of the disease increases the risk of complications such as falls and loss of independence, having a profound impact on quality of life. The complexity and heterogeneity of symptoms therefore warrant a holistic, multidisciplinary approach. Specific healthcare professionals, e.g. the movement disorders neurologist and the PD nurse specialist, are considered essential members of this multidisciplinary team. However, with our increasing knowledge about different aspects of the disease, other disciplines are also being recognized as important contributors to the healthcare team. Areas covered: We describe a selection of these relatively newly-recognized disciplines, including the specialist in vascular medicine, gastroenterologist, pulmonologist, neuroophthalmologist, urologist, geriatrician/elderly care physician, palliative care specialist and the dentist. Furthermore, we share the view of a person with PD on how patients and caregivers should be involved in the multidisciplinary team. Finally, we have included a perspective on the new role of the movement disorder neurologist, with care delivery via "tele-neurology". Expert commentary: Increased awareness about the potential role of these 'new' professionals will further improve disease management and quality of life of PD patients.

The Impact of Sex and Gender on the Multidisciplinary Management of Care for Persons With Parkinson's Disease

“…PD is partially characterized by motor features, but affected persons typically also experience a highly variable combination of non-motor features. Given the multifaceted and heterogenous nature of the disease, care delivery to people with PD typically involves healthcare professionals from a wide range of different professional disciplines to accommodate the specific clinical features, needs and coping styles of a person with PD ( 4 – 7 ). Ideally, any person with PD should be treated by a diverse, multidisciplinary team, consisting of a general practitioner, neurologist, PD nurse specialist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech- and language therapist, neuropsychologist, dietician, or other healthcare professionals, depending on the needs of the patient ( 7 ).…”

Quality and extent of implementation of a nurse-led care management intervention: care coordination for health promotion and activities in Parkinson’s disease (CHAPS)

“…Nurse care managers recommended topics to discuss with providers thereby teaching participants' how to talk to doctors and others about their own care. Because PD care requires interaction with different providers and services [60,61], the nurse care manager was an ideal single point person for care personalization, assessment-driven coaching, and care coordination.…”

Patient-Centric Care for Parkinson's Disease: From Hospital to the Community

“…The MDT team is typically tertiary hospital-based to be able to assemble a diverse range of allied healthcare professionals (5). More ambitious models involving medical professionals from other less traditional fields of vascular medicine, urology, gastroenterology, geriatric medicine, and palliative care have been proposed (6).…”