Background: Parkinson’s disease progressively limits patients at different levels and as a result family members play
a key role in their care. However, studies show lack of an integrative approach in Primary Care to respond to the
difficulties and psychosocial changes experienced by them. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of a
multidisciplinary psychoeducational intervention focusing on improving coping skills, the psychosocial adjustment
to Parkinson’s disease and the quality of life in patients and family carers in a Primary Care setting.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study with control group and mixed methods was designed to evaluate a
multidisciplinary psychoeducational intervention. Based on the study power calculations, 100 people with
Parkinson’s disease and 100 family carers will be recruited and assigned to two groups. The intervention group will
receive the ReNACE psychoeducational intervention. The control group will be given a general educational
programme. The study will be carried out in six community-based health centres. The results obtained from the
two groups will be collected for evaluation at three time points: at baseline, immediately after the intervention and
at 6 months post-intervention. The results will be measured with these instruments: the Quality of Life Scale PDQ39 for patients and the Scale of Quality of Life of Care-givers SQLC for family carers, and for all participants the
Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness scale and the Brief COPE Inventory. Focus groups will be organised with some
patients and family carers who will have received the ReNACE psychoeducational intervention and also with the
healthcare professionals involved in its development.
Discussion: An important gap exists in the knowledge and application of interventions with a psychosocial
approach for people with PD and family carers as a whole. This study will promote this comprehensive approach in
Primary Care, which will clearly contribute in the existing knowledge and could reduce the burden of PD for
patients and family carers, and also in other long-term conditions