title: Telehealth for patients with Parkinson's disease: delivering efficient and sustainable long-term care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We set out to demonstrate the benefits of providing long-term care via telehealth for patients with Parkinson's disease living in continuous care facilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort of 16 patients with Parkinson's disease residing at one of 2 locations of a multi-facility continuous care retirement organization were seen virtually in follow-up over a 3-year period by Telehealth Services at a large, academic, tertiary care hospital in southeastern Pennsylvania. The data collected during that period, studied retrospectively, included demographic information, number of telehealth visits, and UPDRS scores obtained at each visit. Satisfaction and potential cost savings were also reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  UPDRS scores declined over the period of observation, from a range of 18-60 at study start to 28-72 at study end. Actual cost savings are difficult to define; however, the cost per telehealth visit at $117.30 was often lower than the facility's average cost for transporting patients to a visit in the neurologist's office. Patients, families, subspecialists, and the nursing staff expressed uniformly high satisfaction with telehealth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This model for providing care proved to be sustainable and efficient, and promoted collaboration among the providers at the long-term care facility and those at the remote site. These benefits may be applicable to patients with degenerative disorders in similar settings.
authors.affiliation: a Division of Neurology , Lehigh Valley Health Network , Allentown , PA , USA.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Barbour
authors.affiliation: b Phoebe Ministries , Allentown , PA , USA.
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arroyo
authors.affiliation: c Phoebe Ministries , Wernersville , PA , USA.
authors.forename: Star
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: High
authors.affiliation: b Phoebe Ministries , Allentown , PA , USA.
authors.forename: Lisa B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Fichera
authors.affiliation: b Phoebe Ministries , Allentown , PA , USA.
authors.forename: Marie M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Staska-Pier
authors.affiliation: c Phoebe Ministries , Wernersville , PA , USA.
authors.forename: Mary Kay
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: McMahon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019468:Disease Management; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010414:Pennsylvania; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Parkinson’s disease; long-term care; movement disorders; patient satisfaction; telehealth