Mrs Loren Geary1
1Fremantle Hospital, Fremantle, South Metro Area Health Service`
Biography:
Senior Dietitian with Fremantle Hospital Parkinson's Service (part of the Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospital Group Comprehensive Care Centre)
Abstract:
The Fremantle Hospital Parkinson’s Service consists of specialised allied health and aims to maintain functional independence of people living with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). An audit conducted in 2020, showed that wait times exceeded recommendations (Parkinson’s Excellence Network) of within 3 months and DNA rates were high.
We aimed to develop an annual questionnaire which patients could use to self-evaluate disease-related changes over the previous 6-12 months, to reduce allied health waitlists and facilitate timely access to specialised Parkinson’s disease allied health services for patients identified as at high priority (at risk of hospital admission).
Focus groups were held with specialist PD medical, nursing, and allied health clinicians occurred to develop an initial draft of the questionnaire. The Consumer Advisory Council at Fiona Stanley Hospital and current patients provided feedback on the questionnaire.
The introduction of the annual allied health questionnaire reduced wait times, DNA rates and time to intervention. The mean (SD) response rate from the annual allied health questionnaire was 75%. The mean (SD) wait time was reduced to within 3 months and DNA rates also reduced by half to 6.8% and all patients identified as high priority received allied health input within 2 weeks of referral (as per Parkinson’s Excellence Network right care recommendations), with the mean (SD) time to input for high priority patients within 5 days.
Further investigation of strategies that would increase response rate and automation strategies are warranted.