Assessing quality of life in Parkinson's: the nurse specialist's role

Parkinson's is a complex neurological disorder characterised by a large number of motor and non-motor features. As a consequence of these wideranging symptoms, quality of life (QoL) in patients with Parkinson's can be affected by many factors that can also vary depending on social support, activity, and environment. The large number of issues that could be raised in a single visit means it can be challenging to probe for additional disease-related problems that a patient or caregiver does not spontaneously report, although these may be the most important to the patient's QoL. To help address a patient's most important issues and QoL concerns, a group of experts set out to design a simple consultation aid to help facilitate a patient's preparation for, and participation in routine visits. The ‘Parkinson's QoL Consultation Aid’ is available for use and includes 17 prompts relating to Parkinson's and its potential impact on QoL.