One of the major challenges in Parkinson’s disease (PD) care is the uncertainty that surrounds the condition. This uncertainty affects both clinicians and patients throughout the care journey, from establishing an accurate diagnosis, to predicting disease progression, and making treatment decisions. A recent study published in Neurology Clinical Practice examined how clinicians communicate diagnostic uncertainty during PD consultations and explored the impact of these discussions on patients’ feelings of uncertainty and trust in their PD care1.
Researchers recorded diagnostic consultations related to PD for 50 patients from the Netherlands at two timepoints, including initial consultation and a follow-up consultation within six weeks. In this dataset of recorded PD consultations, researchers catalogued instances of clinicians’ verbal expressions of uncertainty, documenting the conversation topic, the level of uncertainty conveyed, and the strategies clinicians used to navigate uncertainty with patients. In addition to these analyzed consultation recordings, the researchers also collected surveys from both patients and clinicians to assess how each stakeholder tolerates and responds to uncertainty in the context of PD care.
Across the two diagnostic consultations recorded for 50 patients, clinicians expressed some degree of uncertainty with an average of 20 times per consultation. Most uncertainty statements were related to medication (31%) and diagnosis (30%).
Clinician uncertainty during diagnostic consultations, as confirmed by this study, reinforces that diagnostic ambiguity remains a significant issue in routine PD care. Improving tools and approaches to reduce uncertainty and to enhance clinical confidence across all stages of PD management, including diagnosis, may support more timely and accurate decision making and help reduce uncertainty in future clinical practice.
Sources
1Hillen MA, Kurpershoek E, Huisman MHB, et al. Clinician Communication About Uncertainty During Parkinson Disease Diagnostic Consultations. Neurol Clin Pract. 2026 Jun;16(3):e200613.
