Abstract
Introduction
People recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) may withdraw from physical activity because of PD symptoms or loss of confidence. We are conducting a feasibility trial of a remote physiotherapy intervention. To gain a broader understanding of attitudes to physical activity and physiotherapy, we surveyed people with early PD in UK.
Methods
We developed a questionnaire (JISC Online Surveys) about physical activity and remote physiotherapy. This was distributed on paper to local Parkinson’s UK groups, and online via Parkinson’s UK newsletter and social media.
Results
We received 274 valid responses. The most frequent age category was 60-69 years (69%), and just over half of respondents were male (53%). Respondents of diverse ethnicities amounted to 2% of the total sample. For physical activity, the majority of participants reported a high or average level of physical activity, with only 11% reporting a low level. The majority of participants reported that regular exercise was extremely or very important for keeping well with PD. When asked about barriers to being active, the most common response was apathy (29%), followed by difficulties due to PD symptoms and feeling exhausted. These barriers may be amenable to physiotherapy intervention, and we asked participants about their experience of physiotherapy. 47% reported that they had never had physiotherapy for PD; the remainder ranged from single assessment to more than one course of physiotherapy. In terms of telemedicine, 36% reported having a videoconsultation with a doctor or therapist in the last year, with the majority of these participants reporting a good experience; whereas 7% reported concerns with technology.
Discussion
The majority of respondents were enthusiastic about physical activity and believed this was helpful for their wellbeing. Barriers to exercise may be amenable to physiotherapy intervention. Digital monitoring and telemedicine were acceptable to many respondents.