, /PRNewswire/ -- A new study is the first to examine the application of behavioural science in getting underused therapies for Parkinson's Disease to the patients who need them most.

Parkinson's is widely considered to be one of the greatest challenges in medicine. With no cure currently available, treatment options are limited not just by local availability, but also by underlying factors impacting prescribing decisions and habitual prescribing behaviours. In cases such as this, behavioural science holds the key to driving change.

This study, published in BMJ Open, was conducted by Alpharmaxim and Aston University, Birmingham as part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership. It confirms consensus on the key factors that influence choices among healthcare professionals (HCPs) who prescribe medication for Parkinson's.

A select group of 18 HCPs (including neurologists, consultants and specialist nurses/practitioners who prescribe medication) were recruited from across Europe and participated in a series of seven structured focus group meetings. The analysis identified 16 intervention strategies that will change and enhance decision-making and ensure that patients receive the best possible treatment.

This study is part of a three-part programme of research that aims to address key challenges in clinician decision-making across neurodegenerative disease, and outlines Alpharmaxim's proprietary Healthcare Behaviour Insights Tool (H-BIT) model.

"Supporting people with Parkinson's requires more than just providing habitual treatment options," says Emma Begley, lead author of the study. "It demands a deeper understanding of the complex nuances shaping prescribing behaviour that could be hindering potentially efficacious therapies."

"Data alone is not enough to enact real change in beliefs and behaviours; change is driven by a complex interplay of capability, opportunity and motivation," says William Hind, author on the paper and CEO at Alpharmaxim. "The factors that influence prescribing decisions in Parkinson's are not always well understood. By applying behavioural science, we can identify barriers to change and determine the behavioural components that may greatly help the appropriate personalisation of medicine."

With general practitioners under pressure, rising incidence rates and ageing populations, take-up of new personalised therapies is needed to avoid a sizeable burden on healthcare systems worldwide.

By understanding the consensus on prescribing behaviour, researchers can identify and implement strategies for improving clinical decision-making.

The full study is available at https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/2/e090018. For media enquiries, please contact Shelley Will ([email protected]).

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