Core themes of high quality, safe inpatient care for people with PD

People with Parkinson's Disease (PD) can have complex care needs and are often cared for in an outpatient setting. Hospital admissions are associated with suboptimal care, including increased risk of adverse events, length of stay and healthcare costs. Improving the inpatient care experience for people with PD is crucial in healthcare.

To identify themes that improve the inpatient care experience of people with PD.

A comprehensive search was conducted using 2 electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL). Grey literature was also obtained using Advanced Google Scholar. Literature from a 10 year period (2014-2024) on patients with PD in an inpatient setting was included. Exclusion criteria were applied to rehabilitation, outpatient or palliative care settings.

15 studies were included in the review. 3 themes emerged from the literature - patient care experience, medication safety and staff education. Each of these themes are closely aligned and explore how the inpatient care experience of people with PD can be improved.

The review demonstrated how people with PD can receive high quality, safe care. The themes and knowledge identified can be utilised in research and service delivery and design to inform best practice for inpatient care of people with PD.