Exploring the mid-term impact of telemonitoring in Parkinson's disease: insights from adoption into clinical practice.

BACKGROUND

Routine clinical evaluations offer limited insight into daily variability and disease progression in Parkinson's disease (PD). While wearable devices are increasingly used to improve patient monitoring, evidence of their effectiveness remains scarce.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the efficacy of integrating a telemonitoring system into standard clinical procedures, highlighting its role in enabling efficient, patient-centered treatment adjustments.

METHODS

Thirty-five PD patients were monitored for 6 months using a telemonitoring device alongside standard care. Disease progression was assessed via MDS-UPDRS part III (UPDRS-p3) and device-reported outcomes (dUPDRS) at baseline and follow-up. Physicians provided feedback on telemedicine utility.

RESULTS

UPDRS-p3 scores improved by 1.9-5.63 points. Changes in UPDRS-p3 strongly correlated with dUPDRS (r = 0.82). Sixty-two percent of patients had treatment modifications, 36% of which occurred remotely.

CONCLUSION

Telemonitoring supported clinical decisions, detected subtle symptom changes, and offered valuable insights for improving motor symptoms and patient management.