Journal article
Barriers and enablers to cognitive assessment in Parkinson's disease: A qualitative contextual inquiry
Journal of Parkinson's disease, Vol.First Online, pp.1-13
27/04/2026
PMID: 42041287
Appears in Recent Faculty of Health Publications
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Abstract
Background: Cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD) is often overlooked, despite increased risk of dementia in PD. ‘PDCogniCare’ is an innovation aiming to improve access to cognitive assessments, for earlier diagnosis and care. This study explored barriers and enablers to cognitive assessment in PD, to inform implementation of ‘PDCogniCare’.
Methods: Participants included ten people with PD, one caregiver, and nineteen health professionals within two Australian public health services. Semi-structured interviews were informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Deductive and inductive analysis was utilised. Barriers were mapped to the CFIR-ERIC (Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change) matching tool to develop implementation strategies.
Results: Seven themes were identified: 1) lack of discussion about cognitive impairment limits access to cognitive assessments and interventions; 2) clinicians need to ‘be on board with cognition’; 3) availability of clinic resources impacts delivery of cognitive screens and assessments; 4) variability of clinician decision-making processes to screen or refer patients for neuropsychological assessment; 5) impact of undergoing neuropsychological assessments on people living with PD; 6) uncertainty over benefits of cognitive assessment in changing clinical management; and 7) perceived advantages of ‘PDCogniCare’ over current practice. Strategies to address identified barriers included: clinician education and training, additional resource allocation, support and feedback, and involving patient/consumer advocates.
Conclusions: Several barriers and enablers to cognitive assessment in PD were identified, relating to health professional knowledge, beliefs, context and resources. Strategies that address these may improve clinical practice for more proactive treatment and care.
Details
- Title
- Barriers and enablers to cognitive assessment in Parkinson's disease: A qualitative contextual inquiry
- Creators
- Deborah Brooks - The University of QueenslandKirstine Shrubsole - The University of QueenslandDeepa Sriram - The University of QueenslandJihyun Yang - The University of QueenslandLeander K Mitchell - The University of QueenslandPeter Worthy - The University of QueenslandElton Lobo - The University of QueenslandDana Pourzinal - The University of QueenslandNadeeka N Dissanayaka - The University of Queensland
- Publication Details
- Journal of Parkinson's disease, Vol.First Online, pp.1-13
- Publisher
- Sage Publications
- Grant note
- This work was supported by the Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council Medical Research Future Fund, Dementia Aging and Aged Care Mission Grant 2022.
- Identifiers
- 991013373556702368
- Copyright
- © The Author(s) 2026
- Academic Unit
- Allied Health and Midwifery; Faculty of Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article