Objective: To develop a communication calendar (CC) to facilitate information exchange amongst therapists involved in interdisciplinary therapy of Parkinson’s Disease (PD).

Background: Increasing complexity of therapeutic strategies for PD requires interdisciplinary therapies involving various health professionals and physicians. Coordinating and synchronising all involved therapists is a growing challenge.

Method: The Communication Calendar for Interdisciplinary Therapy of Parkinson’s Disease (CC-PD) was developed by IAB – Interdisziplinärer Arbeitskreis Bewegungsstörungen, an interdisciplinary movement disorders special interest group of health professionals and physicians. It contains information about the involved therapists and a brief introduction about its use. Health professionals and physicians document together with the patient relevant therapy goals based on activity and participation as outlined in the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Goals related to activity may include improvement of speech, turning in bed, walking, dexterity, postural stability, dysphagia or freezing during special daily activities. Goals related to structural body function may be improvement of balance, straightening up of body, cognition or reduction of pain, rigidity or hallucinations. CC-PD documents on a weekly basis therapies, contacts with each therapist, time of each contact, special notes and attainment of each goal on the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS). The CC-PD will be presented by the patient to all involved therapists. An electronic version is also available.

Results: The CC-PD development project was well supported by members of  the regional IAB groups in Hamburg, Hannover and Berlin. Preliminary CC-PD versions were tested under practise conditions during the last 4 years. The CC-PD optimises and structures the essential information transfer between health professionals and physicians in an outpatient setting.

Conclusion: The CC-PD provides easy and concise information transfer about interdisciplinary outpatient therapy of Parkinson’s Disease.

References: UPDRS, ICF, Barthel Index

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/communication-calendar-for-interdisciplinary-therapy-of-parkinsons-disease-2/