Evaluation of the clinical guidelines - dia gnosis and treatment of Parkinson's dis ease from the perspective of experts in clinical practice

Aims: Adapted Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) covering diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for patients with Parkinson's disease were developed in 2022. The recommendations are intended to assist clinical practitioners in their decision-making abilities, and the CPG aims to improve the quality of services provided nationally including cost-effectiveness. Methodology: A retrospective questionnaire survey to examine the use of CPG by clinical practitioners (physicians and non-physician health professionals). Data collection was conducted from early June to late July in 2023 by sharing it electronically on the Czech Neurological Society (CNS) web portal and the Extrapyramidal Section of the CNS. A self-constructed questionnaire was used and data were analyzed using descriptive analysis. Results: A total of 51 respondents (30 women and 21 men) took part in the survey with an average age of 43.3 years. There were 31 physicians, i.e. 61% (12 ambulatory care and 19 inpatient care) and 20 nurses, i.e. 39% (11 ambulatory care and 9 inpatient care) with an average length of clinical experience of 15.2 years. None of the general nurses reported full use of CPG compared to physicians, where 6 of them reported using CPG (P = 0.036) and rated it as high quality. Other suggestions for updating the CPG included the addition of new medicines (N = 5) and comprehensive development of patient information (N = 2). Conclusion: Parkinson's disease represents a significant economic burden on healthcare systems and a reduction in quality of life for patients as the disease progresses. The national CPG aims to reduce geographic, demographic, and other disparities in patient access. Regular updates to the CPG on the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease will be implemented as required by the Extrapyramidal Section. Recommendations will be updated with the latest registered drugs and diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, and comprehensive recommendations for patients in lay language will be prepared as part of the update.