A Cross-Sectional Study on Socioeconomic Systems Supporting Outpatients With Parkinson's Disease in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate the socioeconomic systems supporting outpatients with Parkinson's disease (PD) in Japan. METHODS: The study was performed in 2013 at two private hospitals and one clinic in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. A survey was conducted with 248 consecutive PD patients, and the data from 237 PD outpatients were analyzed after excluding 11 patients who did not meet inclusion criteria. Monthly medical and transportation payments as a PD outpatient were selected as outcome variables, and their association with various explanatory variables, such as utilization of support systems for PD outpatients, were evaluated using logistic regression model analysis. RESULTS: After controlling for potential confounding variables, the utilization of the system providing financial aid for treatment for patients with intractable disease was significantly inversely associated with monthly medical payment among PD outpatients (OR 0.46; 95% CI, 0.22-0.95). Experience of hospital admission for PD treatment was significantly positively associated with monthly transportation payment (OR 4.74; 95% CI, 2.18-10.32). Monthly medical payment was also significantly positively associated with monthly transportation payment (OR 4.01; 95% CI, 2.23-7.51). CONCLUSIONS: Use of Japanese public financial support systems may be associated with reductions in medical payments for PD outpatients. However, those systems may not have supported transportation payments, and higher transportation payments may be associated with an increased risk of hospitalization.

Analysis of resources assisting in coping with swallowing difficulties for patients with Parkinson's disease: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition induced by swallowing difficulties (SD) impairs the quality of life and gives rise to SD-related costs in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. With results of a swallowing difficulty questionnaire and data of resources specifically obtained such as SD-related costs, caregivers, and dietary therapies, this study is to suggest statistically supported ideas for improvements in arrangements for how participants cope with SD and maintain general well-being. METHODS: We interviewed 237 PD patients. The SD-related costs involved those incurred by the provision of dietary modifications, care oriented foods, alternatives, and supplements. Dietary therapies included rice porridge and commercially available care foods. The relationships between BMI (body mass index) and the severity of SD assumed in this paper as indicators for general well-being and as resources for coping with SD for PD patients were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: A lower BMI was found in participants eating porridge consistency rice (p = 0.003) and eating porridge rice is significantly related to the severity of SD (p < 0.0001) and PD (p = 0.002). The severity of SD increased with age and PD duration (p = 0.035, p = 0.0005). Outlays for dietary modifications are the lowest reported here (p < 0.004) but the number of participants using dietary modifications is the largest among the SD-related items (n = 58). Eating care foods were reported for 11 older participants (p < 0.0001), most female (10/11). No lower BMI was found in participants eating care foods when compared with participants eating ordinary foods. Dietary modifications were performed by caregivers (OR: 6.8, CI: 3.1-15.2, p < 0.0001) and were related to the presence of children (OR: 3.4, CI: 1.2-11.4. p = 0.024). Older participants commonly live with spouses and children. CONCLUSIONS: Severe SD is associated with higher costs of coping with SD. A lower BMI is associated with modified foods, mostly eaten to cope with SD. Presence of caregivers and other persons residing with the participants here are related to dietary modifications but not to care food-related costs. Care foods may be effective in preventing malnutrition although the number who are able to cover the added expenses is limited because of the higher prices and shortage of information on the usefulness of care foods.