Attitudes toward telemedicine of patients with Parkinson's disease during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Issue 1 (18th November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kurihara, Kanako; Nagaki, Koichi; Inoue, Kotoe; Yamamoto, Sumiko; Mishima, Takayasu; Fujioka, Shinsuke; Ouma, Shinji; Tsuboi, Yoshio
• Other Names: Taniwaki Takayuki guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: Neurology and clinical neuroscience. Volume 9:Issue 1(2021)
• Page Start: 77
• Page End: 82
• Publication Date: 2020-11-18
• Subjects: COVID‐19 pandemic -- Parkinson's disease -- patients' inclination -- questionnaire survey -- telemedicine; Neurology -- Periodicals; Neurosciences -- Periodicals; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1111/ncn3.12465
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2049-4173

Abstract

Abstract: Background: COVID‐19 had spread all over the world by the end of 2019. In Japan, the government declared a state of emergency in March 2020. Although no study has reported it in detail, patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) can be vulnerable to COVID‐19, because they have poor respiratory excursion. Telemedicine is a very effective way of reducing the risk of COVID‐19 infection, as well as reducing the physical, economic, and psychological burden on patients. Aim: To evaluate PD patients' inclinations to use telemedicine during the COVID‐19 pandemic, because the start of telemedicine in our hospital was being considered. Methods: The subjects were 103 PD patients who visited Fukuoka University Hospital between April 1 and May 8, 2020. These patients completed a 15‐item questionnaire survey about telemedicine. Results: A majority of the patients were aware of the availability of telemedicine (77%) and were inclined to use it (60%). Credit card users ( P < .001), smartphone users ( P = .006), and those who lived in a region distant from the hospital ( P = .006) were significantly inclined to use telemedicine. Conclusion: In this study, there was an inclination to use telemedicine in a majority of patients with PD during the COVID‐19 pandemic. We believe that the introduction of telemedicine has a multitude of advantages during the pandemic period and beyond.