Objective:
For
patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), effective communication during
neurology encounters is critical to ensuring the treatment plan
maximizes quality of life. However, few research studies have engaged
neurologists as key experts in identifying opportunities to optimize the
clinical encounter. In this study, 16 neurologists from 4 clinic sites
participated in hour-long semistructured interviews targeting
opportunities to better address patients’ quality of life needs.
Main Findings:
Neurologists
identified opportunities to meet needs across 4 domains: (1) PD patient
education materials and self-management tools to facilitate clinical
communication; (2) techniques for improving clinical communication,
including strategies for eliciting nonmotor symptoms and contextualizing
symptoms to better meet patient quality of life needs; (3) addressing
system-level barriers, including time constraints and the lack of an
identified specialist referral network; and (4) training in how to lead
difficult conversations.
Principal Conclusions:
Neurologists
identified specific barriers, and proposed solutions, to improving care
delivery for patients with PD. Integrating practice tools to address
quality of life needs, training neurologists in communication around
end-of-life care, and strengthening referral networks for rehabilitation
and psychosocial support hold promise for improving quality of life for
patients with PD.
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