Neuropsychologists' Engagement With and Cognitive Assessment in Parkinson's Disease: A Mixed Methods Australian Investigation.

Abstract

ObjectiveA mixed methods study was conducted to investigate how clinical neuropsychologists engage with and provide cognitive assessment to persons living with Parkinson's disease (PD). Current practices were examined to identify service gaps and generate recommendations for future research.MethodAustralian neuropsychologists experienced in PD assessment were recruited to complete an online survey (N = 20) and semi-structured interviews (N = 5). Quantitative data was summarised descriptively. Qualitative data underwent coding reliability thematic analysis. Findings were combined through mixed methods integration to identify service gaps.ResultsIntegration revealed four service gaps for neuropsychologists when assessing persons living with PD. These were: (1) varied assessment practices across neuropsychologists; (2) infrequent engagement of neuropsychologists; (3) suboptimal test availability for PD assessment; and (4) limited integration of digital modalities within practice.ConclusionsThe findings provide preliminary observation into service gaps for neuropsychologists in PD assessment to help direct future research.