Scientific evaluation of community-based Parkinson's disease nurse specialists on patient outcomes and health care costs.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of community based nurses specialising in Parkinson's disease on health outcomes and healthcare costs.


METHODS
Two year randomised controlled trial in 438 general practices in nine randomly selected health authority areas of England.


METHODS
1859 patients with Parkinson's disease identified by the participating general practices.


METHODS
Survival, stand-up test, dot in square test, bone fracture, global health question, PDQ-39, Euroqol, and healthcare costs.


RESULTS
After two years 315 (17.3%) patients had died, although mortality did not differ between those who were attended by nurse specialists and those receiving standard care from their general practitioner (hazard ratio for nurse group v control group 0.91, 95% confidence interval 0.73 to 1.13). No significant differences were found between the two groups for the stand-up test (odds ratio 1.15, 0.93 to 1.42) and dot in square score (difference -0.7, -3.25 to 1.84). Scores on the global health question were significantly better in patients attended by nurse specialists than in controls (difference -0.23, -0.4 to -0.06), but no difference was observed in the results of the PDQ-39 or Euroqol questionnaires. Direct costs for patient health care increased by an average of pound2658 during the study, although not differentially between groups: the average increase was pound266 lower among patients attended by a nurse specialist (- pound981 to pound449).


CONCLUSIONS
Nurse specialists in Parkinson's disease had little effect on the clinical condition of patients, but they did improve their patients' sense of wellbeing, with no increase in patients' healthcare costs.
Hurwitz
Brian
B
Medicine and the Arts, King's College, University of London, London, UK. brian.hurwitz@kcl.ac.uk
Jarman
Brian
B
Cook
Adrian
A
Bajekal
Madhavi
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000191:economics; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005194:Family Practice / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000401:mortality / Q000451:nursing*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013041:Specialties, Nursing / Q000191:economics