Improving Parkinson's Care

Royal Surrey Charity has funded PKG machines to track the symptoms of patients living with Parkinson’s – meaning patients can benefit from customised treatment and improved quality of life. 

For patients living with Parkinson’s disease, anything that enhances understanding and personalisation is invaluable. We are proud to be able to introduce the Personal KinetiGraph (PKG) Movement Recording System to our patients at Royal Surrey Hospital: thank you for your support.

The PKG device, resembling a wristwatch, serves as a silent observer, continuously tracking and recording motor symptoms like slowness of movement, tremors, and excessive movements for people with Parkinson’s disease. Over six days of wear, it gathers comprehensive data, which is then analysed. A report is generated that can be interpreted by the clinician, leading to a completely personalised approach to treatment. 

By identifying specific times of day when symptoms peak, clinicians can optimize medication schedules to alleviate discomfort and enhance mobility. Another useful aspect is that clinicians can see if people actually have a response to the medications, and if not, unnecessary drugs can be removed. This personalized approach improves patient outcomes and minimizes medication burden, fostering a better quality of life. Patients have also benefited from being shown the data afterwards, and as told by Dr Rachel Davies, Consultant Geriatrician at Royal Surrey, ‘they can see why we are suggesting certain treatments, and it has been helpful for them to see their symptoms reflected in a graph.’

She went on to say:

“It is a device widely used in the management of Parkinson’s disease, and having access to this technology brings our service more up-to-date. It has been well received by the patients, as it is unobtrusive and easy to use. It is widely regarded as a useful addition to Parkinson’s service. Therefore, it is very good to have been able to secure the use of this service for 5 years, and we hope to be able to continue to fund it thereafter.”

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