"The idea that we can provide care to individuals with Parkinson disease regardless of where they live is both a simple and revolutionary concept," said University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) neurologist Ray Dorsey, M.D., M.B.A., senior author of the study which appears today in the journal Neurology: Clinical Practice. "This study demonstrates that, by employing essentially the same technology that grandparents use to talk to their grandchildren, we can expand access to the specialized care that we know will improve patient's quality of life and health."
More than 40 percent of people with Parkinson's disease do not see a neurologist, placing these individuals at greater risk for poor health outcomes. For example, people with the disease who do not see a specialist are 20 percent more likely to fall and fracture a hip, 20 percent more likely to end up in a skilled nursing facility, and 20 percent more likely to die.