Reports Outline Parkinson’s Disease Study Results from Imperial College (A discrete event simulation model to evaluate the use of community services…

Reports Outline Parkinson's Disease Study Results from Imperial College (A discrete event simulation model to evaluate the use of community services in the treatment of patients with Parkinson's disease in the United Kingdom)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Pain & Central Nervous System Week -- New research on Parkinson's disease is the subject of a report. According to news reporting out of London, United Kingdom, by NewsRx editors, research stated, "The number of people affected by Parkinson's disease (PD) is increasing in the United Kingdom driven by population ageing. The treatment of the disease is complex, resource intensive and currently there is no known cure to PD."

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Imperial College, "The National Health Service (NHS), the public organisation delivering healthcare in the UK, is under financial pressures. There is a need to find innovative ways to improve the operational and financial performance of treating PD patients. The use of community services is a new and promising way of providing treatment and care to PD patients at reduced cost than hospital care. The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential operational and financial benefits, which could be achieved through increased integration of community services in the delivery of treatment and care to PD patients in the UK without compromising care quality. A Discrete Event Simulation model was developed to represent the PD care structure including patients' pathways, treatment modes, and the mix of resources required to treat PD patients. The model was parametrised with data from a large NHS Trust in the UK and validated using information from the same trust. Four possible scenarios involving increased use of community services were simulated on the model. Shifting more patients with PD from hospital treatment to community services will reduce the number of visits of PD patients to hospitals by about 25% and the number of PD doctors and nurses required to treat these patients by around 32%. Hospital based treatment costs overall should decrease by 26% leading to overall savings of 10% in the total cost of treating PD patients. The simulation model was useful in predicting the effects of increased use of community services on the performance of PD care delivery. Treatment policies need to reflect upon and formalise the use of community services and integrate these better in PD care."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "The advantages of community services need to be effectively shared with PD patients and carers to help inform management choices and care plans."

For more information on this research see: A discrete event simulation model to evaluate the use of community services in the treatment of patients with Parkinson's disease in the United Kingdom. BMC Health Services Research, 2017;17():1-14. BMC Health Services Research can be contacted at: Biomed Central Ltd, 236 Grays Inn Rd, Floor 6, London WC1X 8HL, England. (BioMed Central - www.biomedcentral.com/; BMC Health Services Research - www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting R. Ahmad, Imperial College, Sch Business, Dept. of Management, Hlth Grp, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom. Additional authors for this research include E. Demir, R. Ahmad, C. Vasilakis and D. Southern (see also Parkinson's Disease).

Keywords for this news article include: London, United Kingdom, Europe, Central Nervous System Diseases and Conditions, Neurodegenerative Diseases and Conditions, Basal Ganglia Diseases and Conditions, Brain Diseases and Conditions, Investment and Finance, Parkinsonian Disorders, Parkinson's Disease, Movement Disorders, Hospital, Imperial College.

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