Opinion
Video
Providing Personalized Care for Parkinson Disease
Author(s):
Panelists discuss how medical professionals adjust treatment regimens and create individualized plans as Parkinson disease advances in their patients.
Video content above is prompted by the following:
Treatment Regimen Adjustment Process for Advancing Disease
When a patient’s disease advances, medical professionals typically follow a structured yet individualized approach to adjusting treatment regimens. Here’s a comprehensive summary of this process:
Assessment Phase
- Conduct thorough reevaluation of the patient’s current clinical status
- Review disease progression markers and recent diagnostic findings
- Assess treatment response to current regimen
- Evaluate for new symptoms, complications, or comorbidities
- Consider functional status and quality of life impacts
Decision-Making Framework
- Review evidence-based guidelines for advanced disease stages
- Consider treatment goals (curative, life-extending, palliative)
- Weigh risk-benefit profile of intensifying therapy
- Evaluate patient’s physiological reserve for more aggressive treatments
- Consider treatment burden vs potential benefit
Treatment Modification Strategies
- Dose adjustment of existing medications
- Addition of adjunctive therapies
- Switching to second- or third-line treatment options
- Introduction of combination therapies when appropriate
- Consideration of clinical trial eligibility
Individualization of Care
- Align treatment decisions with patient preferences and values
- Consider social determinants affecting treatment adherence
- Adjust for age-related physiological changes and comorbidities
- Account for pharmacogenomic factors when relevant
- Balance disease-directed therapy with symptom management
Implementation and Monitoring
- Establish clear timelines for reassessment
- Define measurable outcomes to evaluate effectiveness
- Create contingency plans for inadequate response
- Monitor for treatment-related adverse effects
- Adjust supportive care as needed
Multidisciplinary Collaboration
- Engage appropriate specialists based on complication profile
- Coordinate with palliative care when appropriate
- Involve pharmacy for medication management optimization
- Utilize case management for complex care coordination
- Consider behavioral health support for psychological impacts
This process emphasizes the importance of shared decision-making, regular reassessment, and maintaining flexibility as the disease evolves, ensuring treatments remain aligned with the patient’s changing needs and goals of care.
