Pitfalls and caveats in the diagnostic pathway of people with Parkinson's disease

Objective: We carried out a cross-sectional study to identify the factors involved in each stage of the diagnosis pathway that may lead to a diagnostic delay in persons with Parkinson's disease (PD). Materials and Methods: Consecutive patients with PD were included. A questionnaire assessing the recognition of the initial symptoms, pathway to seek attention diagnosis and perception on the diagnostic time and identified barriers was applied. Diagnosis delay was defined as >= 12 months between initial recognition of the symptom and the definitive diagnosis of PD. Results: A total of 114 patients (57.9% male) with PD were included in the study. The overall median time of the diagnosis pathway was 14.5 (interquartile range [IQR] 31) months and the longest time in this pathway was between the first medical consultation and the definitive diagnosis of PD, a median of 9 (IQR 14) months. The main appraisal of the first symptom was being not worried (48.2%). The mains reasons for seeking medical attention were symptom worsening (42.1%). Patient's perception on the diagnostic time was reported as very adequate/adequate in 52.7%. Barriers delaying the diagnosis identified included the belief of spontaneous symptoms relief and lack of trust in their doctor. Conclusion: Both the person with PD and the physician play a shared role in the diagnosis of PD. Improving the awareness of the disease, as well as improving medical education on PD, could result in a timely diagnosis.

Automated summary

This study conducted a cross-sectional study to identify the factors contributing to diagnostic delay in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. The results showed that both the individuals with PD and the physicians play important roles in the diagnosis process. Improving disease awareness and medical education on PD could lead to timely diagnosis.