A holistic approach to evaluating Parkinson's disease, using the Delphi method: a linear evaluation index

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder with diverse motor and nonmotor symptoms.
• Establishing a standardized method to evaluate the severity and impact of these symptoms is crucial for patient care and research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a Linear Evaluation Index (LEI) for quantifying Parkinson's disease manifestations.
• To achieve expert consensus on the weighting of motor and nonmotor symptoms using the Delphi method.

Main Methods:

• The Delphi method was employed with 25 experts to reach consensus on symptom values.
• 120 Parkinson's disease patients meeting UKPDSBB criteria were included.
• Metric properties including reliability (Cronbach's alpha, SEM) and validity were analyzed.

Main Results:

• The Delphi method facilitated expert consensus on symptom values for the LEI.
• Reliability analyses indicated adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.69) and a standard error of measurement (SEM) of 4.23.
• The developed LEI demonstrated acceptable quality, acceptability, and validity.

Conclusions:

• The Linear Evaluation Index (LEI) was successfully developed using a rigorous Delphi methodology.
• The LEI exhibits adequate metric properties, supporting its use in assessing Parkinson's disease.
• This index offers a standardized approach to evaluating the multifaceted nature of Parkinson's disease symptoms.