Open AccessAdopting a multidisciplinary telemedicine intervention for fall prevention in Parkinson’s disease. Protocol for a longitudinal, randomized clinical trial
Author(s) -
Esther Cubo,
Álvaro GarcíaBustillo,
Álvar ArnaizGonzález,
José Miguel Ramírez-Sanz,
José Luis Garrido-Labrador,
Florita Valiñas,
Marta Allende,
Jerónimo González-Bernal,
Josefa GonzálezSantos,
José F. Díez-Pastor,
Maha Jahouh,
J.M. Merino Arribas,
José María Trejo
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0260889
Subject(s) - telemedicine , randomized controlled trial , multidisciplinary approach , protocol (science) , medicine , clinical trial , physical medicine and rehabilitation , intervention (counseling) , parkinson's disease , physical therapy , disease , alternative medicine , pathology , health care , psychiatry , social science , sociology , economics , economic growth
Background Approximately 40–70% of people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) fall each year, causing decreased activity levels and quality of life. Current fall-prevention strategies include the use of pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies. To increase the accessibility of this vulnerable population, we developed a multidisciplinary telemedicine program using an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) platform. We hypothesized that the risk for falling in PD would decrease among participants receiving a multidisciplinary telemedicine intervention program added to standard office-based neurological care. Objective To determine the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of a multidisciplinary telemedicine intervention to decrease the incidence of falls in patients with PD. Methods Ongoing, longitudinal, randomized, single-blinded, case-control, clinical trial. We will include 76 non-demented patients with idiopathic PD with a high risk of falling and limited access to multidisciplinary care. The intervention group (n = 38) will receive multidisciplinary remote care in addition to standard medical care, and the control group (n = 38) standard medical care only. Nutrition, sarcopenia and frailty status, motor, non-motor symptoms, health-related quality of life, caregiver burden, falls, balance and gait disturbances, direct and non-medical costs will be assessed using validated rating scales. Results This study will provide a cost-effectiveness assessment of multidisciplinary telemedicine intervention for fall reduction in PD, in addition to standard neurological medical care. Conclusion In this challenging initiative, we will determine whether a multidisciplinary telemedicine intervention program can reduce falls, as an alternative intervention option for PD patients with restricted access to multidisciplinary care. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier : NCT04694443 .