Empowerment in people with Parkinson's disease: A scoping review and qualitative interview study

Objective: To synthesize empowerment definitions in Parkinson's disease (PD) literature and understand people with PD's perspective on empowerment in the context of an existing empowerment conceptual model.

Methods: This mixed-methods study included a scoping review of PD empowerment literature and interviews with adults with PD. Five databases were searched for articles that defined empowerment concepts. We analyzed 1:1 semi-structured interviews on empowerment with people with PD. All data were analyzed using hybrid thematic analysis.

Results: Eight of 242 records were included in this review. Empowerment is defined as an intrapersonal (e.g., personal control over oneself or healthcare) or interpersonal construct (e.g., person-centered care). Thirty-seven participants completed the interview. Participants perceived empowerment as a multifaceted concept that interacts with determinants and moderators from different ecological levels.

Conclusion: Empowerment is a noteworthy multilevel and relational construct that can interplay with important health-related factors. The developed working conceptual model of empowerment can inform future studies to explore empowerment concepts in more depth and develop PD empowerment-based interventions.

Practice implications: The empowerment definitions, indicators, determinants, and moderators identified in this study can help researchers, clinicians, and policymakers critically conceptualize empowerment and develop interventions to support people with PD.