Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/11054/289
Title: A cross-sectional study of clinical management, and provision of health services and their utilisation, by patients with Parkinson's disease in urban and regional Victoria.
Authors: Lubomski, Michal
Rushworth, R. Louise
Lee, Will
Williams, David R.
Issue Date: 2013
Publisher: Elsevier
Place of publication: Philladelphia, PA
Publication Title: Journal of Clinical Neuroscience
Volume: 20
Issue: 1
Start Page: 102
End Page: 106
Abstract: Our objective was to evaluate and compare clinical management, utilisation of health services and quality of life (QoL) in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) attending clinics in urban and regional Victoria. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 210 patients with PD attending specialist neurological clinics in a regional area (Ballarat) (n = 97), and an urban area (Melbourne) (n = 113), Victoria. Demographic characteristics of patients with PD, QoL, patterns of disease and management and utilisation of medical and allied health services were analysed. Compared to patients with PD from urban clinics, patients in the regional clinic were significantly older and were diagnosed at a later age with a shorter duration of treatment (all p < 0.05). Despite no significant difference in disease severity (measured by Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale scores) between the groups, patients in the urban clinic reported a lower QoL (p = 0.003). Patients in the regional clinic were more satisfied with their treatment, despite seeing their medical specialist less frequently (p < 0.001) and having a higher rate of early misdiagnosis (p = 0.015). Patients from regional clinics reported a poorer understanding of their illness than patients in the urban clinic (p = 0.049). Half of all respondents were interested in using telemedicine services. Two-thirds (71%) of all patients used allied health services, with patients in the urban clinic utilising more and desiring greater access to these services (p < 0.05). In conclusion, we found significant differences in the presentation, management and use of health services between patients accessing regional and urban PD clinics in Victoria. Telemedicine may be an effective, and even desirable, method for facilitating improved diagnosis and referral for appropriate therapies. This study was undertaken with data obtained from Ballarat Health Services.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/11054/289
Resource Link: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967586812002986
ISSN: 0967-5868
Internal ID Number: 00256
Health Subject: PARKINSONS DISEASE
RURAL
ACCESS
HEALTH CARE QUALITY
TELEMEDICINE
CLINICAL STUDY
QUALITY OF LIFE
ALLIED HEALTH SERVICE
REGIONAL
Type: Journal Article
Article
Appears in Collections:Research Output

Files in This Item:
There are no files associated with this item.


Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.