Identifying important issues for people with Parkinson's disease.

This article identifies issues that are important for people with Parkinson's disease (PD). A review of the literature showed that information about PD commonly relates to anatomy and physiology, medication and activities of daily living. These categories were used to formulate statements on a questionnaire, which was distributed to members of the Parkinson's Disease Society within the East Midlands. The results demonstrated that those with PD wanted advice on maintaining their independence, the amount of movement they were capable of and how to respond if their symptoms changed. They wanted to know when to seek medical advice, information about their medication and the treatments available for PD. Knowing what could be tried next if the present treatment failed was thought more important than knowing about all treatments.