Telemedicine in Parkinson patients, what are their preferences and why. Are they afraid of approaching the hospital in relation to the COVID19 infection?
Poster
Aim
To determine the breakdown of virtual and face-to-face clinics held in January and February 2021, establish patient preferences, and understand the role fear of COVID plays in clinic attendance.
Headlines
- The service introduced telemedicine during the pandemic, and has continued to offer remote appointments
- Understanding if fear of COVCID infection affects patient preference on clinic type will help staff to promote face-to-face appointments when necessary
- A telephone survey found no patients were afraid to attend clinic because of COVID
- People with mobility issues preferred remote appointments
- People without mobility issues preferred face to face appointments
Key findings
A total of 19 people answered a telephone survey during a remote appointment. It found that:
- 89.5% (n=17) preferred face to face clinics
- 10.5% (n=2) preferred phone clinics due to mobility issues
- 100% were satisfied with the remote appointment, though 15.7% (n=3) had hearing difficulties during the call
- No patients were afraid to attend hospital due to COVID fears
Recommendations
To prioritise face-to-face appointments for those who prefer them when infection control measures allow.
More Parkinson's Academy COVID-19 Projects
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Parkinson's Academy, our original and longest running Academy, houses 20 years of inspirational projects, resources, and evidence for improving outcomes for people with Parkinson's. Led by co-founder and educational director Dr Peter Fletcher, the Academy has a truly collegiate feel and prides itself on delivering 'the things you can't get from books' - a practical learning model which inspires all Neurology Academy courses.