Study Rationale: Four million LGBTQIA+ adults age 50 and above live in the United States. We know very little about the needs of those in the LGBTQIA+ community who are living with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We will work with the LGBTQIA+ community to learn about the health needs of individuals with PD. We will talk to caregivers about their care experiences. We will also ask healthcare providers about their work with people with PD in the LGBTQIA+ communities.
Hypothesis: Because LGBTQIA+ adults have more problems with health and care than those in the general population, we hypothesize that LGBTQIA+ people with PD will also experience unique health and care issues.
Study Design: LGBTQIA+ adults with PD, caregivers and providers will be asked to fill out a survey. We will also ask caregivers to join us for an hour interview to learn about their experiences. Surveys and interviews can be done by phone or internet.
Impact on Diagnosis/Treatment of Parkinson’s disease: We will find ways to improve health and care of LGBTQIA+ people with PD and we will disseminate our findings to improve care for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Next Steps for Development: We will share our findings with the LGBTQIA+ community and care providers, and we will apply for additional funding to identify new ways to improve health and care for the community.