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Description of ParkService

ParkAid are now in possession of ParkService, a prototype telematics service for PWP. At the heart of ParkService is a telematics Internet link between a clinician and a person with PD at home. This service is one which breaks down the isolation that many people with PD experience, principally through difficulties with mobility. ParkService offers a generalised support service to the PWP through a live connection from their home to a clinician and offline services, such as a reminder to take medication and an easy to use mean to objectively report on day-by-day conditions. The potential of telematics to “bring the doctor into the person’s home” is very great, and particularly needed for PD. However the most prominent PD service ParkService facilitates is the configuration of a mobility aid (INDIGO) to the individual during a telematic interaction with a PD specialist.

A mature prototype of the mobility aid (third generation) under the trade name INDIGO, is now available and is based upon a Portable Device , glass-mounted display, wireless connection and bespoke software. This service is unique and breaks new ground in the treatment of PD and its associated social exclusion. Comparative devices and services to PWP only exist in embryonic forms.

Service actors

The primary actor of ParkService is the person with PD and it is the fundamental aim of ParkService to provide support that ends the isolation of these users. A ParkService primary user is likely to be someone who is in the intermediate stages of PD and experiencing the commonly associated problems of akinesia, bradykinesia and freezing. Offering also off-line services (home ParkService in the following description) of video recording patient condition, ParkService will target also other class of patient who do not necessarily need visual aid (i.e. INDIGO) but suffer from other sympthoms (trembling, stiffness, etc) . They are likely to be unconfident with technology and require a simple, friendly service in order to benefit. Typically they will spend a lot of time at home, be relatively aged and socially isolated. When considering this user it is important to distinguish two sets of use cases: the person with PD connected telematically to ParkService and receiving support in their home and the person with PD walking freely wearing the ParkService mobility aid, when at home but also outdoor.

The secondary ParkService actor is the clinician or neurologist who provides support when the person with PD is remotely connected, or that observe, offline, videos of patient behaviour easily recorded by person with PD. This actor will be skilled in PD and the use of a variety of visual cues for triggering kinesia paradoxa and will have experience in analysing patient condition. This user may not be skilled with IT but is likely to be relatively highly educated and confident with medical devices. Typically they will be a scarce resource and will have strong pressures on their time.

The tertiary actors is the Service Provider (Parkaid) and the service support personnel. This actor provides the service and human resources (skilled engineers and maintenance staff) who can setup ParkService at home and clinics and diagnose problems during the use of the service. Parkaid will be also responsible for billing each established sessions btw Clinician and PWP and of maintain backup copies of each Clinician dataset.