Palliative care surpasses standard care for improving health outcomes in people with Parkinson’s disease and related disorders, say neurologist-researchers.
In a new study, outpatient palliative care was provided by a neurologist, social worker, chaplain, and nurse with the guidance of a palliative medicine specialist. Standard care was provided by a neurologist and a primary care practitioner.
Among 125 participants, those who received outpatient palliative care had significantly better quality of life at six months than their peers who received standard care. They also had better motor symptom burden and were more likely to complete an advance directive. These outcomes were particularly pronounced for patients with advanced illness and dementia, the researchers wrote.
The effects of palliative care on cognitive function were less striking, with no effect at six months, added Benzi M. Kluger, M.D., University of Colorado. But there was statistical, though not clinical, cognitive function improvement at 12 months.
“The integration of palliative care into Parkinson’s disease and related disorder care holds the potential to improve outcomes, particularly for persons who are underserved by current models of care,” concluded Kluger and colleagues.
The study was published in JAMA Neurology.
