Educational Needs and Considerations for a Visual Educational Tool to Discuss Parkinson's Disease

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Medical Education
• Patient Communication

Background:

• Parkinson's disease (PD) presents complex challenges for patients and caregivers.
• Existing educational resources often fall short in addressing the multifaceted nature of PD symptoms and therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the need for and guide the development of an educational tool for people with Parkinson's disease (PwP).
• To identify key areas and preferred formats for PD patient education.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was distributed to PwP, caregivers, and healthcare providers (HCP) across Canada.
• Data collected focused on perceived educational needs and desired content for a PD educational tool.

Main Results:

• A significant majority of HCP (86.5%) deemed patient understanding of PD issues "very important," with 84.4% open to using visual aids.
• High percentages of PwP and caregivers (81.9-95.7%) reported dissatisfaction with current explanations of PD domains.
• Non-motor symptoms and cognitive issues were identified as particularly difficult to understand or explain by all respondent groups.
• Recently diagnosed PwP with less HCP counseling time reported lower understanding and satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• There is a clear need for enhanced patient education strategies in clinical settings for Parkinson's disease.
• Newly diagnosed PwP, particularly those with limited physician interaction, have the greatest educational needs.
• A visual aid focusing on non-motor and cognitive symptoms is recommended for future educational tools.