Wearable Sensors to Monitor PD Symptoms Appeal to Patients, Providers for Different Reasons

When it comes to the monitoring of Parkinson disease (PD) symptoms, patients differ from health care providers, and even from one another, in terms of symptoms of interest, according to a study published online in Frontiers of Neurology.  

“Digital tools such as wearable sensors may help to monitor PD in daily life,” wrote a research team from Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands. “To optimally achieve the expected benefits, such as personized care and improved self-management, it is essential to understand the perspective of both patients and the health care providers.”

The study included 434 patients with PD and 166 health care providers who specialize in PD-related care. All participants completed online questions about PD symptom monitoring and wearable sensors. For further insight, researchers conducted focus groups with a total 25 patients, physical therapists, nurses, and individually interviewed 5 neurologists.

“PD patients as well as health care providers were in general positive about using wearable sensors to improve PD care and self-management,” researchers wrote, “although the specific context and expected benefits varied considerably between the different stakeholders.”

A third of patients reported monitoring their symptoms, mostly using a paper diary, over the past year, according to the study. Top motivations for monitoring included discussing results with providers, learning about the effects of medications and other treatments, and documenting disease progression. A desire to avoid focusing too much on having PD, relatively stable symptoms, and the lack of an easy-to-use tool were key barriers for patients.

Patients and health care providers prioritized symptoms of interest differently, the study found. Fatigue, problems with fine motor movements, and tremor were higher priority for patients, while balance, freezing, and hallucinations were higher priority for providers.

“We also noted considerable differences in priorities between individual patients,” researchers wrote, “highlighting the need for personalized disease monitoring.”

Reference: 
Evers LJW, Peeters JM, Bloem BR, Meinders MJ. Need for personalized monitoring of Parkinson's disease: the perspectives of patients and specialized healthcare providers. Front Neurol. 2023;14:1150634. doi:10.3389/fneur.2023.1150634