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<\/p>\nAnissa Mitchell, LCSW<\/p>\n
(Credit: LinkedIn)<\/p>\n
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Empathy in the clinical practice can provide several benefits for patients with Parkinson disease (PD) and health care providers. Prior research has shown that traditional training techniques have focused on the health condition instead of the individual living with the disease. This condition-centric approach can be ineffective in generating the ability to understand and accurately acknowledge the feelings of another person. Since technology has advanced over the last few decades, a more effective way to draw out empathy in the clinic could be through using a digital device to simulate the patient\u2019s actual experience such as their symptoms.<\/p>\n
In a previously published study, findings demonstrated that those who used the digital tele-emphathy device to simulate PD symptoms had significantly higher empathy scale scores compared with a control group that did not.1 These results suggest that the use of such technology could have practical and clinical implications for providing effective training to health care providers in the movement disorder field. Experiences such as these, whether through a digital device or a simulation, place greater emphasis on the patient\u2019s perspective, helping clinicians better understand the challenges of living with PD.<\/p>\n
At the 4th Annual Advanced Therapeutics in Movement and Related Disorders (ATMRD) Congress<\/a>, held by the PMD Alliance<\/a> from June 27-30, 2025, a session covered the importance of empathy, offering different perspectives from clinicians and patients living with PD.2 Prior to the session, Anissa Mitchell, LCSW<\/a>, chief program officer at PMD Alliance, spoke with NeurologyLive\u00ae, giving insights on how ATMRD integrates experiential learning to enhance clinicians\u2019 understanding of patient perspectives. Mitchell noted additional sessions that highlighted dance and large amplitude training, cognitive behavioral therapy for neuropsychiatric symptoms, and neuropalliative care approaches that address quality of life.<\/p>\n NeurologyLive: How would participating in a simulation potentially change the way clinicians approach conversations with their patients about their symptom burden?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anissa Mitchell, LCSW:<\/strong> The reason we put this together was to give health care providers a glimpse into what it might feel like to be the person living with the diagnosis\u2014having to overcome some of the symptoms, obstacles, frustrations, and maybe even fears to discuss what\u2019s happening or things that are prescribed to them. For example, what it might be like to experience something like dysphagia and be prescribed thickened liquids to help them swallow safely. That sounds great in theory, but if you\u2019ve never actually tasted and swallowed it, especially for someone who might be more sensitive to textures, it can be really challenging.<\/p>\n We wanted to give them an opportunity to step into that world. They obviously understand it from the expert side of things, but besides teaching people about therapeutics, we also try to infuse the patient voice into ATMRD and give that experiential opportunity. Something like this can help build empathy. I think most clinicians care very much and are very compassionate, but to step in and experience some of these things makes a difference.<\/p>\n We had different activities throughout this \u201cEmpathy in Action\u201d session. We started in the morning with breakfast, and there were things they did while eating to simulate what it might be like to have certain symptoms. After breakfast, we had different stations\u2014experiences related to rigidity and motor changes, swallowing (which I already mentioned), and articulation.<\/p>\n We had some of our patient ambassadors from our PMD Ambassador Program running role-play scenarios. The attendee plays the patient, and the ambassador acts as the health care provider. They\u2019re given a brief scenario: \u201cYou are a 68-year-old woman diagnosed with this condition. You came in today feeling these symptoms. Go.\u201d They got prompts, and they had to experience trying to tell their physician or health care provider what\u2019s wrong.<\/p>\n Then, they\u2019ll got 2 responses: 1 that\u2019s less compassionate or empathic\u2014maybe, \u201cOkay, just do this, here\u2019s a prescription\u201d\u2014and 1 that\u2019s very caring and compassionate, with more open-ended, probing questions. We then ask them what it\u2019s like to hear both types of responses, and they get to see how the way someone frames a question or responds might impact what the patient is willing to disclose.<\/p>\n Last year at ATMRD, we did a survey and had a session called \u201cLips Sealed: What Patients Aren\u2019t Telling Their Providers<\/a>.\u201d This built on that. Sometimes patients don\u2019t share symptoms because they\u2019re embarrassed or fearful. The top reasons were that they didn\u2019t know it was a symptom, they were embarrassed, they feared appearing weak, or they worried about how it might affect their disease trajectory or lead to more treatments.<\/p>\n This year, we took it a step further. We know people aren\u2019t disclosing certain symptoms. We know they\u2019re struggling. Now, we\u2019re giving providers the chance to step into their world, experience it through these stations, and help open that dialogue. It\u2019s something we\u2019re very passionate about.<\/p>\n Are there any other major highlights from this year\u2019s Congress you\u2019d like to call out?<\/strong><\/p>\n We\u2019ve infused a couple of different experiences. In one session, Jos\u00e9 Cabassa, MD, talked about dance and movement classes from a research perspective, and then we had people actually experience a dance class. It was motivating, fun, and energizing\u2014especially for a session that started at 7 a.m.<\/p>\n We also ran another experiential session on large amplitude training. We\u2019re focusing on big voice and big movements<\/a>. A lot of clinicians recommend or prescribe physical therapy, speech therapy, or occupational therapy, but we want them to see what\u2019s actually happening in those sessions and the \u201cwhy\u201d behind it.<\/p>\n We also had a session on nonmotor symptoms and will have breakouts on both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments for these symptoms. One important session was with Marcia Pasqualini, PhD<\/a>, a neuropsychology expert, on nonpharmacologic treatment of neuropsychiatric issues in Parkinson. She discussed cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression and anxiety, and how it can be integrated with prescribed treatments. She co-authored a book for mental health providers to better understand Parkinson so they can provide evidence-based CBT.<\/p>\n Another session I was excited about was on the neuropalliative role, led by Jennifer Corcoran, MD<\/a>. She\u2019s been researching the patient experience in palliative care\u2014some starting early in their movement disorders treatment, some later\u2014and how it impacts quality of life. This session touched on the whole person, including spiritual aspects, quality-of-life goals, advanced care planning, and what those mean from the patient\u2019s perspective. These aren\u2019t necessarily \u201ctreated\u201d in the traditional sense but are vital to the treatment plan.<\/p>\n For those who may be interested in a future meeting, can you share the benefit of clinicians attending this Congress?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m a little biased, but I love that this Congress brings together so many different perspectives. We have APPs, fellows, and participants in our Mentorship Campfire Fellowship Program. We\u2019re doing hands-on sessions, like botulinum toxin injections and deep brain stimulation deep dives. Sunday is our cognitive day, with deep dives into Alzheimer, Parkinson, and Huntington disease.<\/p>\n There\u2019s something for everyone\u2014early career to seasoned experts\u2014and we encourage that cross-interaction. We want clinicians to engage with partners offering advanced therapies and to hear directly from patients about how treatments are going, what barriers exist, and what\u2019s working.<\/p>\n My favorite part is patient involvement. We have a Conversation Corner, and on Saturday, social workers will be available to share how they support patients\u2014navigating levels of care, offering resources, and adding to the care patients receive. We\u2019ll also hear from 2 young-onset patients with Parkinson\u20141 discussing what she wants prescribed<\/a>, the other a husband-and-wife team talking about engaging the Black community and other underrepresented groups in research.<\/p>\n