Assessing healthcare resource utilization burden and unmet treatment needs in patients with Parkinson’s disease: results from a real-world study

<b>Aim:</b> Current Parkinson's disease (PD) research evaluates patients with early and severe PD, but often overlooks patients with intermediate PD. This study aims to quantify unmet treatment needs, disease burden and healthcare resource utilization among patients with PD within different Hoehn and Yahr stage groups in the US. <b>Materials & methods:</b> Data were drawn from the Adelphi Parkinson's Disease Specific Programme™, a cross-sectional survey of physicians and their patients in the US from September 2021 to April 2022. Patients were staged as early (Hoehn and Yahr stage 1-2), intermediate (stage 2.5-3) or severe (stage 4-5) PD. Analyses compared PD stages, focusing on the intermediate group. <b>Results:</b> Ninety-five physicians provided data for 1251 patients; 47.4%, 40.4%, and 12.2% were early-, intermediate-, and severe-stage PD, respectively. Mean age was 65.1, 71.8, and 77.8 years and mean time since diagnosis was 2.5, 5.1, and 7.7 years (p < 0.001) across early, intermediate, and severe groups, respectively. The mean number of products used in current regimen was 1.1 for early, 1.9 for intermediate and 2.4 for severe groups. The intermediate versus early group had a significantly greater proportion of patients with unmet treatment needs (p < 0.001), e.g., slowing disease progression, providing neuroprotection. Incidence rate ratios were increased for the intermediate versus early group for number (in previous 12 months) of healthcare professionals involved in patients' PD management (incidence rate ratios 1.1), healthcare professional consultations (1.4), emergency room visits (3.8) and rehabilitation admissions (6.8). Patient-reported quality of life was significantly poorer in the intermediate versus early group. <b>Conclusion:</b> This real-world analysis found significant increases in disease burden and healthcare resource utilization for patients with intermediate versus early PD. More effective intervention of patients at intermediate-stage PD may improve symptom control and decrease the PD burden for patients and the healthcare system.