Digital solutions for the benefit of patients
Measurement and analysis service supports better treatment decisions for patients
As an acute care hospital and Parkinson's specialist clinic, the Paracelsus Nordseeklinik Helgoland provides medical care for approximately 1,500 island residents and 400,000 holiday, rehabilitation, and day guests who visit Germany's only high-sea island annually. Additionally, it offers specialized treatment for patients with Parkinson's disease in the Schleswig-Holstein region and beyond its borders.
The clinic's specialist neurological department, headed by Dr. Annette Rogge, offers a multimodal therapy program for patients with Parkinson's disease. This includes medication management alongside individualized therapeutic options and lifestyle counseling aimed at positively influencing the quality of life and progression of the disease.
To provide her patients with the best possible treatment tailored to their individual disease progression, Dr. Rogge opted for an objective assessment of motor symptoms using the measurement and analysis services provided by Adamant Health. Particularly crucial were the precise evaluation of symptoms, especially in mildly affected patients with subtle symptomatology and those newly diagnosed, as well as a comprehensive overview of symptoms throughout the day and night.
The detailed symptom data allowed Dr. Rogge to quickly gain a thorough understanding of her patients' disease status. "Especially in patients with milder symptoms, where it was unclear whether certain symptoms were associated with being on or off medication, the objectively measured symptom data helped to optimize the treatment plan," explains Dr. Rogge. Even in patients experiencing strong motor fluctuations, it was possible to quickly identify the problematic periods and for example, adjust medication in case of wearing-off symptomatology.
“For patients with severe motor fluctuations, it was possible to quickly identify the problematic periods and adjust medication.”
The symptom report is a crucial component in therapy planning, as it supports the treating physician with additional information on the anamnesis and description of the patient. Moreover, in dialogue with patients, the symptom report serves as a valuable tool due to its meaningful visualization of symptom data. "I felt that after discussing the symptom report, my patients had more confidence in proposed medication adjustments," explains Dr. Rogge.
Measuring motor symptoms offers additional advantages, especially in the treatment of outpatients, as symptoms can be accurately captured outside of the visit to the physician’s practice and integrated into treatment planning. This allows for significant time savings during medical history assessments, especially for patients who have difficulty describing their symptoms throughout the day. Overall, the symptom report helps to compare the subjective component in the patient's self-assessment with objective measurements of the motor function throughout the day.
Dr. Rogge's patients have appreciated the additional methodology for symptom assessment, especially as it is a non-invasive procedure. For the Paracelsus Nordseeklinik Helgoland, complementary technologies like the measurement and analysis services provided by Adamant Health offer a means to enhance patient care, make it safer, and use available resources more efficiently. Due to its island location in particular, the clinic relies on digital solutions for the benefit of patients.
Dr. Annette Rogge
Chief physician, Specialist in neurology
Paracelsus Nordseeklinik Helgoland