Using data to evaluate the need for a Frailty Parkinson’s service at St. George’s Hospital


By Dr. Towhid Imam, Consultant Geriatrician

Poster

Aim

Understand the impact of COVID-19 on hospital admissions among people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) aged 65 and over.

Headlines

Compared to the same period in 2019:

  • there was a marked reduction in admissions during the first wave of the pandemic.
  • there was also a marked reduction in emergency department discharges
  • there were more admissions to the senior ward in 2020 than their were in 2019

Key findings

The analysis of electronic patient record system data found there were:

  • 592 admissions among people with PD aged 65 and over in 2019, and 369 in 2020
  • This cohort accounted for 3% of all admissions in 2019, and 2% in 2020
  • In both 2019 and 2020, the majority of admissions were made during working hours
  • Discharges from the Amyand Parkinson’s frailty ward fell from just over 60 in 2019 to around 30 in 2020
  • Discharges from the Cavell short stay ward fell from around 70 in 2019 to just over 20 in 2020

Recommendations

  • Collaborate with the PD team and the front door frailty team to promote proactive patient review
  • Develop further data analysis on:
    • Discharge diagnoses
    • Length of stay, mortality, and readmission rates

More Parkinson's Academy COVID-19 Projects

Loneliness and Social Isolation in people with Parkinson’s Disease during COVID-19 restrictions
By Dr Somaditya Bandyopadhyay, Staff Grade Physician (Geriatrics), Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
How has covid 19 affected community services for patients with Parkinson’s disease in the Wakefield area?
By Dr Rebecca Burns, Consultant Care of the Elderly, Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
'The things you can't get from the books'

Parkinson's Academy, our original and longest running Academy, houses 22 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.