Parkinson's Disease Inpatient Clinical Knowledge and Management

Parkinson's Disease (PD), the second-most common neurodegenerative disorder and is ranked the fourteenth leading cause of death. PD prevalence rate in the United States is estimated to be approximately 0.3% and is ranked the fourteenth leading cause of death (CDC, 2013). Depending on the methodology, the national prevalence data on PD is varied and insufficient. PD is projected to increase by 4% to 5% in age 65 and over 85 years respectively and is associated with a high economic burden exceeding $14.4 billion per year.

Admission to the hospital is identified as a major risk factor due to imprecise timing of medication administration, disruption of sleep pattern, dietary changes, and unfamiliarity of the hospital environment which all contribute to the exacerbation of PD symptoms. Parkinson's disease Foundation, 2015). Hospital length of stay for patients with PD is 1.45 times higher in comparison to non- PD patients.

A study by Chou et al., (2011) involving 51 worldwide National Parkinson Foundation Centers found 94% of centers were not confident in the care and knowledge hospital professionals provided specific to: PD medications, complex drug interactions, contraindications and precise timing of medication administration. Hospital co-morbidities could be improved or prevented by adjustment of PD medication and medication adherence, critical in decreasing hospital length of stay.

The retrospective phase will be a data collection of adult patients admitted with a primary and secondary diagnosis of Parkinson's disease during January - June 2015 (6 month period). There will be 150 patients selected by the principal investigator(s) from chart review. In addition, the clinicians chosen for the study will complete a Parkinson's Disease Knowledge Assessment Survey.

The prospective phase will begin after completion of the Parkinson's Disease Inpatient Clinical Knowledge and Management Program for staff nurses, advanced practice nurses (APN), nursing assistants, patient care technicians, case managers, adult inpatient physician assistants, pharmacists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, nurse educators, and dietitians. There will be 150 patients selected from the adult inpatient units by the principal investigator(s) that meet the inclusion criteria and confirm through an informed consent that they will participate in the study.