Parkinson's Disease is a difficult illness requiring treatment with powerful medication. The lives of the 50,000 people diagnosed each year are changing dramatically. The illness burdens the nation with costs estimated to exceed 5.6 billion dollars each year. Caregivers, family members and patients help professionals educate and inform caregivers, family members and patients. Computer technology allows the development of an interactive tool to meet this need. We propose to develop and evaluate an interactive CD-ROM, called living with Parkinson's Disease. The software will 1) teach the user about the disease and address misconceptions, 2) discuss treatment issues, medications, and ongoing research, and 3) help and advise the user on how to cope with the illness. Phase I will create a prototype CD-ROM to demonstrate technical feasibility and complete a simple evaluation. Phase I will create a prototype CD-Rom to demonstrate technical feasibility and complete a simple evaluation. Phase I topics will include the neurodegenerative process of Parkinson's Disease, how facial masking and detachment impair communications, and the future role of gene therapy research. Phase II will complete the full curriculum and assess its utility for family members, care givers and newly diagnosed patients.
The HealthGuide: Living with Parkinson's Disease CD-ROM will provide a valuable tool for teaching family members, caregivers and patients and about the illness and its treatment. The software will be attractive to neurology clinics and primary care clinics. It will allow clinics to provide higher quality education without increasing staff.
