Patient and Family Outcomes of Community Neurologist Palliative Education and Telehealth Support in Parkinson Disease.

Importance: Parkinson disease and related disorders (PDRD) are the fastest growing neurodegenerative illness in terms of prevalence and mortality. As evidence builds to support palliative care (PC) for PDRD, studies are needed to guide implementation. Objective: To determine whether PC training for neurologists and remote access to a PC team improves outcomes in patients with PDRD in community settings. Design, Setting, and Participants: This pragmatic, stepped-wedge comparative effectiveness trial enrolled and observed participants from 19 community neurology practices supported by PC teams at 2 academic centers from March 8, 2017, to December 31, 2020. Participants were eligible if they had PDRD and moderate to high PC needs. A total of 612 persons with PDRD were referred; 253 were excluded. Patients were excluded if they had another diagnosis meriting PC, were receiving PC, or were unable or unwilling to follow study procedures. Patients received usual care or the intervention based on when their community neurologist was randomized to start the intervention. Data were analyzed from January 2021 to September 2023. Intervention: The intervention included (1) PC education for community neurologists and (2) team-based PC support via telehealth. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were differences at 6 months in patient quality of life (QOL; measured by the Quality of Life in Alzheimer Disease Scale [QOL-AD]) and caregiver burden (Zarit Burden Interview) between the intervention and usual care. Results: A total of 359 patients with PDRD (233 men [64.9%]; mean [SD] age, 74.0 [8.8] years) and 300 caregivers were enrolled. At 6 months, compared with usual care, participants receiving the intervention had better QOL (QOL-AD score, 0.09 [95% CI, -0.63 to 0.82] vs -0.88 [95% CI, -1.62 to -0.13]; treatment effect estimate, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.07-1.86; P = .03). No significant difference was observed in caregiver burden (Zarit Burden Interview score, 1.19 [95% CI, 0.16 to 2.23] vs 0.55 [95%, -0.44 to 1.54]; treatment effect estimate, 0.64; 95% CI, -0.62 to 1.90; P = .32). Advance directive completion was higher under the intervention (19 of 38 [50%] vs 6 of 31 [19%] among those without directives at the beginning of the study; P = .008). There were no differences in other outcomes. Conclusions and Relevance: PC education for community neurologists and provision of team-based PC via telehealth is feasible and may improve QOL and advance care planning. Overall treatment effects were small and suggest opportunities to improve both the intervention and implementation. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03076671.

Comparison of Integrated Outpatient Palliative Care With Standard Care in Patients With Parkinson Disease and Related Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Parkinson disease and related disorders (PDRD) have consequences for quality of life (QoL) and are the 14th leading cause of death in the United States. Despite growing interest in palliative care (PC) for persons with PDRD, few studies are available supporting its effectiveness. Objective: To determine if outpatient PC is associated with improvements in patient-centered outcomes compared with standard care among patients with PDRD and their caregivers. Design, Setting, and Participants: This randomized clinical trial enrolled participants at 3 academic tertiary care centers between November 1, 2015, and September 30, 2017, and followed them up for 1 year. A total of 584 persons with PDRD were referred to the study. Of those, 351 persons were excluded by phone and 23 were excluded during in-person screenings. Patients were eligible to participate if they had PDRD and moderate to high PC needs. Patients were excluded if they had urgent PC needs, another diagnosis meriting PC, were already receiving PC, or were unable or unwilling to follow the study protocol. Enrolled participants were assigned to receive standard care plus outpatient integrated PC or standard care alone. Data were analyzed between November 1, 2018, and December 9, 2019. Interventions: Outpatient integrated PC administered by a neurologist, social worker, chaplain, and nurse using PC checklists, with guidance and selective involvement from a palliative medicine specialist. Standard care was provided by a neurologist and a primary care practitioner. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were the differences in patient quality of life (QoL; measured by the Quality of Life in Alzheimer Disease scale) and caregiver burden (measured by the Zarit Burden Interview) between the PC intervention and standard care groups at 6 months. Results: A total of 210 patients with PDRD (135 men [64.3%]; mean [SD] age, 70.1 [8.2] years) and 175 caregivers (128 women [73.1%]; mean [SD] age, 66.1 [11.1] years) were enrolled in the study; 193 participants (91.9%) were white and non-Hispanic. Compared with participants receiving standard care alone at 6 months, participants receiving the PC intervention had better QoL (mean [SD], 0.66 [5.5] improvement vs 0.84 [4.2] worsening; treatment effect estimate, 1.87; 95% CI, 0.47-3.27; P = .009). No significant difference was observed in caregiver burden (mean [SD], 2.3 [5.0] improvement vs 1.2 [5.6] improvement in the standard care group; treatment effect estimate, -1.62; 95% CI, -3.32 to 0.09; P = .06). Other significant differences favoring the PC intervention included nonmotor symptom burden, motor symptom severity, completion of advance directives, caregiver anxiety, and caregiver burden at 12 months. No outcomes favored standard care alone. Secondary analyses suggested that benefits were greater for persons with higher PC needs. Conclusions and Relevance: Outpatient PC is associated with benefits among patients with PDRD compared with standard care alone. This study supports efforts to integrate PC into PDRD care. The lack of diversity and implementation of PC at experienced centers suggests a need for implementation research in other populations and care settings. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02533921.