Category: Technology
Objective: To investigate the feasibility and efficacy of virtual visits for Parkinson Disease (PD) compared to in-person visits.
Background: Considering limited access to specialists for PD patients especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, there are growing needs for virtual visits with technological advances. However, the consensus regarding the desirability of virtual visits in the management of PD is still building with gaps in the evidence about the comparative efficacy with in-person visits.
Method: This is an international, longitudinal, multi-center, case-control study in 8 centers from 8 countries (Spain, Nigeria, Egypt, Tanzania, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and United States). We are recruiting PD patients who can access virtual visits using any preferred cross-platform centralized messaging and voice-over-internet provider software in the countries. Each participant will be seen in-person at baseline, 6 months and 1 year, and virtually in 3 months and 9 months follow-ups. Demographic and clinical data will be collected using MDS unified PD rating scale, Hoehn and Yahr stage, Montreal cognitive assessment, PD questionnaire-39, Charlson comorbidity index, Zarit caregiver burden index, Telemedicine Usability and satisfaction and scales for outcome in PD-cost.
Results: This ongoing trial started in January 2021, and we will enroll at least 100 PD patients. The feasibility of virtual visits will be checked with the number of completed virtual visits and in-person visits. The different feasibility across the country, gender, and age group will be also analyzed. We will investigate the clinical management complexity checked by comparison of the frequency of clinical issues including the treatment recommendations, urgent clinical problem evaluation, discussion of test results, education, and second-opinion requests, between two visits. The patients’ and providers’ overall satisfaction and difficulties will be assessed in both virtual and in-person visits. Lastly, the cost-effectiveness will be compared between two visits from a patient’s perspective.
Conclusion: Our study will elucidate the feasibility and efficacy of virtual visits in the different world regions on the management of PD and contribute to improving the accessibility of PD patients to specialist.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
JH. Ahn, J. Youn, O. Ojo, N. Okubadejo, A. Shalash, A. Cardozo, Z. Aldaajani, J. Bajwa, M. Dekker, á. Bustillo, E. Eldayem, M. Shackleford, M. Spindler, Z. Mari, E. Cubo. The feasibility and efficacy of virtual visits compared to in-person visits for follow up in Parkinson´s disease: methodology for an international, multicenter trial (NCT04695353). [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2021; 36 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-feasibility-and-efficacy-of-virtual-visits-compared-to-in-person-visits-for-follow-up-in-parkinsons-disease-methodology-for-an-international-multicenter-trial-nct04695353/. Accessed June 15, 2025.« Back to MDS Virtual Congress 2021
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-feasibility-and-efficacy-of-virtual-visits-compared-to-in-person-visits-for-follow-up-in-parkinsons-disease-methodology-for-an-international-multicenter-trial-nct04695353/