Quality Improvement Project for reduction in Length of Stay for Inpatient Parkinson’s Disease patients

Introduction:

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative condition which rarely changes acutely; however, patients are at increased risk of hospital admission. A previous local study suggested PD patients may have a longer hospital length of stay (LOS), and that PD-specific management standards: correct and timely medication prescribing, could be improved. An initial study in 2024 demonstrated that providing background PD information, medication advice and a basic PD assessment resulted in a reduced LOS.

Method

PD patients admitted to secondary care received a simple PD intervention. The intervention included provision of previous PD clinical assessments, medication information, ensuring correct and timely PD medication prescribing, and advice regarding common PD issues which could occur during an acute illness. The data was compared to closely matched controls during 2025. There were forty-eight in each group.

Results

Patients and clinical teams were grateful and accepting the intervention. 12 of 48 intervention patients (25%) did not have their PD medications prescribed correctly. Four patients had medication-related issues identified, including relatively contraindicated antiemetics and inappropriate changes to medication formulation. Many were found to be constipated (29%): receiving appropriate advice. A previous study showed a reduction of sixty-two bed days saved in hospital (9.4% reduction in LOS). This study showed a reduction of 77 days saved in the hospital (13.7% reduction in LOS). The interventions took less than 20 minutes and able to be completed PD specialist nurse.

Conclusion

This project provides further evidence that a simple PD intervention providing relevant clinical information, medication advice and basic PD management guidance can improve patient care and significantly reduce LOS. Secondary care providers should explore ways to provide this intervention for all PD and PD Plus patients admitted to in patient care.