The Dutch ParC Center team discuss the development of their clinical practice guidelines
Mariella Graziano explains how patients’ self-help strategies have a lot to teach healthcare professionals
With a growing ageing population, increasing life expectancy and a high unmet clinical need, brain research, brain diseases, diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) and indeed mental health are of critical importance to the public health agenda in Europe today. Brain diseases are responsible for 35% of all diseases suffered in Europe (European Brain Council).
European Neurology 2008 - Volume 3, Issue 1 brings together leading experts in each specialised sector within neurology, in order to provide physicians, nurses, surgeons and professionals who come into daily contact with neurology patients with comprehensive information on the latest innovations and developments they require to diagnose, treat and care for their patients effectively.
In this issue, articles relating to Parkinson's disease include:
Discussion on anti-Parkinson medications and the latest thinking concerning levodopa.
Powerpoint presentation at the 12th National Conference Multidisciplinary care in Parkinson's disease and parkinsonism: from science to practiceconference
Report on innovative Parkinson’s teaching programme
Patients with Parkinson's Disease often do not receive their medication promptly when admitted to hospital especially when admitted as an emergency. Often this is because nurses and junior doctors are not aware of the special issues concerning medication in Parkinson's patients.
Educating emergency junior doctors and nurses about Parkinson's disease is crucial if the management of Parkinson's is to be improved in acute hospitals. Teaching about the importance of patients with Parkinson's receiving their medication at the correct time is particularly important.
Patients with Parkinson's Disease often do not receive their medication promptly when admitted to hospital especially when admitted as an emergency. Often this is because nurses and junior doctors are not aware of the special issues concerning medication in Parkinson's patients.
Educating emergency junior doctors and nurses about Parkinson's disease is crucial if the management of Parkinson's is to be improved in acute hospitals. Teaching about the importance of patients with Parkinson's receiving their medication at the correct time is particularly important.
A simple ‘credit card’ sized checklist has been developed to reinforce learning and act as an ‘aide memoire’.
The checklist was evaluated by means of a questionnaire sent to 30 doctors and nurses and found to be popular, useful, relevant and convenient.
Using simple teaching aids such as this in an emergency setting can help to improve the management of Parkinson's disease in hospitals.
The Rescue consortium, a research collaboration between Northumbria University (United Kingdom), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium) have developed a CD-Rom as a guide for therapists who want to use cueing to treat gait and gait-related activities in patients with Parkinson's disease. The RESCUE collaboration conducted a clinical trial that has confirmed the use of cueing as an effective treatment in the home situation. In preparation for this trial, an actual cueing treatment method was developed, which is presented on this CD-Rom. As well as evidence-based cueing guidelines, therapists will find cueing instructions and specific exercises, richly linked to illustrative video clips, centred around 12 therapy aims related to improving gait and gait-related activities. The CD-Rom also contains information on disease background and clinical evaluation tools.
You can read about and order the CD from the catalogue of the audiovisual service of the KULeuven:
www.avnet.kuleuven.be/en/catalogus/showArticle.php?id=122 (for English speakers)
www.avnet.kuleuven.be/catalogus/showArticle.php?id=122 (for Dutch speakers)
Susan Calne explains the importance of preparing patients properly for a hospital visit
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