Awareness and knowledge of the clinical practice guideline on Parkinson's disease among German neurologists.
OBJECTIVE
With increasing diagnostic and therapeutic options of Parkinsonian syndromes (PS), evidence-based medicine clinical practice guidelines for Parkinson's disease and related disorders have been published. This study evaluates the awareness and the knowledge of the German practice guideline for Parkinson's disease among neurologists.


METHODS
The cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted in 2005 in Germany on a survey of 181 neurologists in private practice.


RESULTS
53.1% (n = 95) of the participants specified to be aware of the guideline. A low level of knowledge was reported in diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for motor and nonmotor complications (including depression and dementia), and in the diagnostic features of atypical PS. Neurologists who were aware of the guideline had a significantly better knowledge of the different clinical features of idiopathic (94.7 vs. 84.3%; p = 0.023) versus nonidiopathic (88.3 vs. 77.1%; p = 0.048) PS in general, and specifically of multiple system atrophy (54.3 vs. 36.1%; p = 0.016) as well as of characteristics concerning increased daytime sleepiness (95.7 vs. 86.7%; p = 0.032).


CONCLUSIONS
The awareness and the knowledge of the guideline in everyday medical practice are still limited. Future interventions for a better implementation must include strategies which are suitable to modify behavior patterns.
Eggert
Karla
K
Department of Neurology, Philipps-Universitat Marburg, Marburg, Germany. eggert@med.uni-marburg.de
Larisch
Astrid
A
Dodel
Richard
R
Bormann
Cornelia
C
Oertel
Wolfgang H
WH
D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009462:Neurology / Q000193:education; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011331:Private Practice; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires