Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of immediate response by phone/text messages to questions of patients with Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders

Background: Communicating with movement disorder patients especially with Parkinson’s disease is key in optimizing medications, preventing fluctuations and improving quality of life.

Methods: Quick response to patients utilizing phone/text messages was initiated immediately upon diagnosing the patient in the movement disorder clinic. A designated phone dedicated to patients was utilized to receive phone calls and text messages. Upon discharge from the clinic, the patient and family members were instructed to text or call for any clinical issues upon starting or changing medications. The messages are screened and urgent messages that include side effects, motor fluctuations (for PD patients especially) are addressed in less than an hour.

Results: There were 32 patients/caregivers who have sent text messages or called for medication side effects, wearing off fluctuations in symptoms, questions about suspected symptom fluctuations and dyskinesias. There was only one patient who had called for refill of medications. Breakdown of the movement disorder and complaints will be presented in a table in the poster. Patients less than 60 years old sent mostly text messages and have sent repeated text messages. There were eight patients whose caregivers were the primary communicators of the patient’s problems.. Older patients had sent text messages regarding overall condition and focused less on fluctuations while younger patients were more detailed about their symptoms. There were only 3 patients who called the cell phone directly, discussing symptoms at onset. There were 3 patients who sent pictures of video of what they were experiencing which made the clinician understand the patient’s complaints.

Conclusions: The direct texting/phone calls is a useful tool to communicate with patients as it removes the “middleman” who has to transmit the message to the clinician allowing immediate response to patient’s medical concerns and deciding whether immediate follow up is needed. The text/phone messages also allow patients to understand their disease and symptom fluctuations. The phone calls did not take much time from the clinician as patients showed consideration when calling or sending messages to the clinician.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-role-of-immediate-communication-by-text-or-phone-calls-by-patients-with-fluctuation-motor-complaints-in-parkinsons-disease-and-other-movement-disorders/