Satisfaction and Preferences for Infusion Therapies in Advanced Parkinson’s Disease—Patient Perspective

<i>Background and Objectives:</i> The rapid growth of the number of advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) patients has caused a significant increase in the use of device-aided therapies (DATs), including levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) and continuous subcutaneous apomorphine infusion (CSAI). The objective of this study was to evaluate patients' satisfaction and the factors influencing preferences for CSAI and LCIG. <i>Materials and Methods:</i> The research focused on individuals diagnosed with advanced PD undergoing DAT at the Neurology Department of the University Hospital in Katowice. A telephone survey conducted between June and July 2024 evaluated the experiences of patients with LCIG and CSAI. The Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-8) and the Stress Scale for Family Caregivers (BSFC-s) were applied. Based on medical record data comprising reasons for the exclusion of individuals, disease-related and treatment data were collected. <i>Results:</i> Among the original cohort of 64 patients, 50 completed the survey, including 31 who might choose between infusion therapies. The average patient ages were 70.6 ± 4.7 (CSAI) and 71.2 ± 7.2 years (LCIG), with disease durations of 15 (IQR: 12-19) and 18 (IQR: 13-19) years, respectively. LCIG patients presented higher PDQ-8 scores (20 (IQR: 13-27) vs. 13 (IQR: 6-19), <i>p</i> = 0.008), and higher BSFC-s scores (19 (IQR: 12-21) vs. 9 (IQR: 2.5-13), <i>p</i> = 0.011). Furthermore, significant factors influencing patient preferences included fear of surgery (75% vs. 36.8%, <i>p</i> = 0.043) and concerns about DAT safety (83.3% vs. 47.4%, <i>p</i> = 0.049). <i>Conclusions:</i> LCIG and CSAI therapies offer benefits and disadvantages, with safety concerns and fear of surgery seeming to be decisive in the decision-making process.