“In contrast, individuals not diagnosed by a neurologist were more likely to receive their first prescription for a Parkinson’s disease medication prior to receipt of their initial diagnosis,” a finding which suggests that nonspecialists may initiate therapy prior to having a suspected diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease confirmed by a neurologist. Overall, Drs. Lage, Tarrants, and Castelli-Haley found that the treatment patterns were consistent with current practice guidelines.
“This descriptive analysis explores a number of key issues related to timing and type of treatment for Parkinson’s disease, including whether patients received medication, and what medication was prescribed based on the specialty of the physician who initially diagnosed the patient with Parkinson’s disease,” the authors summarized. “The findings … suggest that treatment for Parkinson’s disease may be improved by visiting a neurologist and that [clinicians should give special attention to] the treatment of comorbid mental health conditions.”
—Ariel Jones