Virmani Tuhin, Pillai Lakshmi, Smith Veronica, Glover Aliyah, Abrams Derek, Farmer Phillip, Syed Shorabuddin, Spencer Horace J, Kemp Aaron, Barron Kendall, Murray Tammaria, Morris Brenda, Bowers Bendi, Ward Angela, Imus Terri, Larson-Prior Linda J, Lotia Mitesh, Prior Fred
Department of Neurology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
J Clin Transl Sci. 2024 Mar 25;8(1):e63. doi: 10.1017/cts.2024.498. eCollection 2024.
Impaired motor and cognitive function can make travel cumbersome for People with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). Over 50% of PwPD cared for at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Movement Disorders Clinic reside over 30 miles from Little Rock. Improving access to clinical care for PwPD is needed.
To explore the feasibility of remote clinic-to-clinic telehealth research visits for evaluation of multi-modal function in PwPD.
PwPD residing within 30 miles of a UAMS Regional health center were enrolled and clinic-to-clinic telehealth visits were performed. Motor and non-motor disease assessments were administered and quantified. Results were compared to participants who performed at-home telehealth visits using the same protocols during the height of the COVID pandemic.
Compared to the at-home telehealth visit group ( = 50), the participants from regional centers ( = 13) had similar age and disease duration, but greater disease severity with higher total Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale scores ( = -2.218, = 0.027) and lower Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores ( = -3.350, < 0.001). Regional center participants had lower incomes (Pearson's chi = 21.3, < 0.001), higher costs to attend visits (Pearson's chi = 16.1, = 0.003), and lived in more socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods ( = -3.120, = 0.002). Prior research participation was lower in the regional center group (Pearson's chi = 4.5, = 0.034) but both groups indicated interest in future research participation.
Regional center research visits in PwPD in medically underserved areas are feasible and could help improve access to care and research participation in these traditionally underrepresented populations.
运动和认知功能受损会使帕金森病患者（PwPD）出行不便。在阿肯色大学医学科学分校（UAMS）运动障碍诊所接受治疗的PwPD中，超过50%居住在距离小石城30英里以上的地方。改善PwPD获得临床护理的机会很有必要。
探讨远程诊所到诊所的远程医疗研究访视对评估PwPD多模式功能的可行性。
招募居住在UAMS区域医疗中心30英里范围内的PwPD，并进行诊所到诊所的远程医疗访视。进行运动和非运动疾病评估并量化。将结果与在新冠疫情高峰期使用相同方案进行家庭远程医疗访视的参与者进行比较。
与家庭远程医疗访视组（n = 50）相比，来自区域中心的参与者（n = 13）年龄和病程相似，但疾病严重程度更高，统一帕金森病评定量表总分更高（t = -2.218，P = 0.027），蒙特利尔认知评估得分更低（t = -3.350，P < 0.001）。区域中心的参与者收入较低（Pearson卡方 = 21.3，P < 0.001），就诊成本更高（Pearson卡方 = 16.1，P = 0.003），且生活在社会经济条件更不利的社区（t = -3.120，P = 0.002）。区域中心组先前的研究参与率较低（Pearson卡方 = 4.5，P = 0.034），但两组都表示有兴趣参与未来的研究。
在医疗服务不足地区对PwPD进行区域中心研究访视是可行的，有助于改善这些传统上代表性不足人群获得护理和参与研究的机会。
