Analysis of the application value of the Roy Adaptation Model in Parkinson's disease nursing care: A non-blinded, single-center observational study.

BACKGROUND: Nursing care for early-stage of Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients can significantly ameliorate clinical symptoms and enhance quality of life. The Roy Adaptation Model (RAM) improves health status of patients. The objective of the study was to analyze the application value of the RAM in nursing care for patients with PD. METHODS: A total of 272 PD patients (meeting the diagnostic criteria outlined in the "Chinese Guidelines for Parkinson's disease Treatment"; with disease stage I-III) admitted to the institute were selected and randomly divided into a control group (n = 136; received routine nursing care for 6-months) and an observation group (n = 136; managed using the RAM for 6-months) using a random number table. Participating nurses were required the specialized training requirements (bachelor's degree, 5+ years of experience, RAM certification) for observational group only. RESULTS: After nursing intervention, the observation group showed significantly lower Webster scale scores in all items, as well as lower Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire scores in all items compared to that of the control group (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). The General Self-Efficacy Scale scores in all items, along with nursing satisfaction, were significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). Aspiration events for thickened liquids were reduced by 20 % in the observation group whereas those were reduced by 5 % in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: RAM shows potential for application in PD nursing but requires multi-center validation and long-term follow-up to confirm widespread feasibility.