Feasibility and acceptability of the cross-national multisectoral OPTIM-PARK intervention for people affected with Parkinson’s disease and their family carers

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurological disease worldwide. Management of PD is complex, requiring person-centred care to address the physical, emotional, social, and economic impacts of the disease. The OPTIM-PARK intervention was developed to enhance the process of living with PD for people affected and their family carers (FCs) by designing inter- and multisectoral collaboration and incorporating a coordinator role in four European countries: Denmark, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The aim of this cross-national study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the OPTIM-PARK intervention in community settings. METHODS: A mixed-methods convergent design was applied, including quantitative analysis of registrations, outcome measures and an Acceptability scale, as well as qualitative analysis of Logs and Mapping of Resources, and semistructured interviews. The focus of the three months intervention was a PD coordinator who undertook a personalized needs assessment and provided information and support, strengthened multi- and intersectoral collaboration, and optimized access to and use of community resources and other third sector support systems. RESULTS: A total of 130 participants were included in the intervention, 72 people with PD and 58 of their FCs. The intervention was typically provided in three consultations. The PD coordinator focus was on individualized support through active listening in the delivery of healthcare interventions. Inclusion of FCs were highly valued. Completion of the outcome measures was feasible, 105 (81%) participants were able to complete outcomes at both time points with <5% missing data. Most participants (92%) found it easy to answer the questionnaires, the use of digital tools for data collection was found beneficial if the participant were comfortable with the digital format. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge this is the first cross-national European study exploring the feasibility of a PD coordinator focussed support to enhance the process of living with PD. The findings suggest that the OPTIM-PARK intervention was feasible and well-received in a community setting across different countries, suggesting potential for wider application and further evaluation in a larger-scale trial.