PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Korn, Ryan E.
AU  - Shukla, Aparna Wagle
AU  - Katz, Maya
AU  - Keenan, H. Tait
AU  - Goldenthal, Steven
AU  - Auinger, Peggy
AU  - Zhu, William
AU  - Dodge, Michael
AU  - Rizer, Kyle
AU  - Achey, Meredith A.
AU  - Byrd, Erica
AU  - Barbano, Richard
AU  - Richard, Irene
AU  - Andrzejewski, Kelly L.
AU  - Schwarz, Heidi B.
AU  - Dorsey, E. Ray
AU  - Biglan, Kevin M.
AU  - Kang, Gail
AU  - Kanchana, Sulada
AU  - Rodriguez, Ramon
AU  - Tanner, Caroline M.
AU  - Galifianakis, Nicholas B.
TI  - Virtual visits for Parkinson disease
AID  - 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000000371
DP  - 2017 Aug 01
TA  - Neurology: Clinical Practice
PG  - 283--295
VI  - 7
IP  - 4
4099  - http://cp.neurology.org/content/7/4/283.short
4100  - http://cp.neurology.org/content/7/4/283.full
AB  - Background: Previous small-scale studies have demonstrated the feasibility of providing remote specialty care via virtual visits. We assessed the feasibility and benefits of a one-time consultation between a remote Parkinson Disease (PD) specialist and an individual with PD at home on a larger scale.Methods: We conducted a multicenter noncontrolled cohort of virtual visits administered over videoconferencing between remote PD specialists and individuals with PD in their home. Specialists performed a patient history and a PD-specific physical examination and provided recommendations to patients and their local physicians. The primary outcome measures were feasibility, as measured by the proportion of visits completed as scheduled, and the 6-month change in quality of life, as measured by the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire 39. Additional outcomes included satisfaction with visits and interest in future virtual visits.Results: A total of 277 participants from 5 states enrolled, 258 participants completed virtual visits with 14 different physicians, and 91% of visits were completed as scheduled. No improvement in quality of life was observed at 6 months (0.4-point improvement; 95% confidence interval −1.5 to 0.6; p = 0.39). Overall satisfaction with virtual visits was high among physicians (94% satisfied or very satisfied) and patients (94% satisfied or very satisfied), and 74% of participants were interested in receiving future care via virtual visits.Conclusions: Providing specialty care remotely into the homes of individuals with PD is feasible, but a one-time visit did not improve quality of life. Satisfaction with the visits was high among physicians and patients, who were interested in receiving such care in the future.Classification of evidence: This study provides Class IV evidence that for patients with PD, remote specialty care is feasible but does not improve quality of life.Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02144220.