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BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is best managed by neurologists, traditionally including frequent doctor–patient contact. Because of a rise in PD prevalence and associated healthcare costs, this personnel‐intensive care may not be future proof. Telemedicine tools for home monitoring have shown to reduce healthcare consumption in several chronic diseases and also seem promising for PD. OBJECTIVE: To explore whether telemonitoring can reduce outpatient healthcare consumption in PD. METHODS: We conducted a cohort study with 116 outpatients with PD who used the telemedicine tool “myParkinsoncoach.” The tool involved periodic monitoring, feedback, knowledge modules, and text message functionality. Retrospective data about PD‐related healthcare consumption in the year before and after introduction of the tool were retrieved from the hospital information system. Additional data about tool‐related activities performed by nursing staff were logged prospectively for 3 months. RESULTS: There was a 29% reduction in the number of outpatient visits (P |
