Study of Feasibility and Efficacy of Telecommunication Platforms as an Adjunctive Clinical Tool for a Parkinson's Disease Clinic

Study of Feasibility and Efficacy of Telecommunication Platforms as an Adjunctive Clinical Tool for a Parkinson's Disease Clinic

Telecommunication Platforms are new technology founded to build better short messages service alternative. Their use have increasingly drawn a wider range of interest as a text communication and video chat system between health care professionals and patients and health care professionals themselves. However, high-quality and adequately evaluated research, especially in the field of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson´s disease, is needed to establish whether patients with these specific neurological problems can be effectively managed with these technological tools in low, middle, and high-income countries

Telecommunication Platforms are new technology founded to build a better short message service alternative. Their use have increasingly drawn a wider range of interest as a text communication and video chat system between health care professionals and patients and health care professionals themselves. However, high-quality and adequately evaluated research, especially in the field of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson´s disease, is needed to establish whether patients with these specific neurological problems can be effectively managed with these technological tools. In this study, patients with Parkinson´s disease from high, middle, and low-income countries covering urban and rural populations, with at least one neurologist with Movement Disorders practice (Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Tanzania, South Korea, United States, Egypt), will be included. Feasibility, clinical management, providers and patient´s satisfaction will be compared between in-office vs. telemedicine (virtual) visits. This study will show the effectiveness of telemedicine, when the access to specialized neurological care is limited, especially now with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson´s disease, able to use a smart phone and running videoconferences, with easy access to wifi.

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients with severe ambulatory problems that will interfere with in-office visits, without access to Internet, with limited technical knowledge unable to use Telecommunication Platforms, or patients diagnosed with other types of Parkinsonism.