title: The ParkinsonNet trial: design and baseline characteristics.
abstract: The companion paper describes how implementation of professional networks (ParkinsonNet) may improve the quality and efficiency of allied health care in Parkinson's disease (PD). We designed a cluster-randomized controlled trial to evaluate this ParkinsonNet concept for one allied health discipline, namely physical therapy. Here we describe the study design and baseline characteristics. The design fully complies with the CONSORT criteria. Sixteen regions in the Netherlands were randomly divided into eight experimental regions where a ParkinsonNet was implemented, and eight control regions where the organization of care was left unchanged (usual care). Participating patients were followed for 6 months to evaluate the implementation process, health benefits and costs of the intervention. In the ParkinsonNet regions, 46 therapists were trained and 358 patients were included. In the usual care regions, 341 patients were included. Baseline characteristics of participants in the ParkinsonNet and control clusters were comparable. With 699 participating patients, this is the largest allied health study in PD to date.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre (RUNMC), Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Samyra H J
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Keus
authors.forename: Maarten J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Nijkrake
authors.forename: George F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Borm
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kwakkel
authors.forename: Raymund A C
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Roos
authors.forename: Henk W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Berendse
authors.forename: Eddy M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Adang
authors.forename: Sebastiaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Overeem
authors.forename: Bastiaan R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Bloem
authors.forename: Marten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Munneke
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000488:Allied Health Personnel; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009462:Neurology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D020127:Recovery of Function; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000078329:Workforce