- Researchers state a substantial variety of individuals with Parkinson’s illness are not getting the treatment they need to receive.
- They state that in specific individuals of color and those who reside in backwoods do not have access to treatments.
- Experts state more motion condition experts in specific are required.
More than 1 million individuals in the United States have Parkinson’s illness, however couple of might be getting the extensive and advised care they require, a brand-new
For their findings, the scientists took a look at a population of Medicare receivers who had Parkinson’s in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tasting covered about 90% of the population in the United States who have the illness.
The scientists reported that half of those studied received care from basic neurologists and 9% received care from motion condition experts who might help customize treatments to each individual. However, 40% received care from medical care companies or didn’t see a doctor throughout the year.
The scientists concluded that their findings imply that 4 in 10 individuals studied never ever saw a neurologist for an essentially neurological illness.
Moreover, they said individuals of color and individuals residing in backwoods were the least most likely to have actually seen a neurologist or spoken with a motion condition professional, revealing substantial variations in care gain access to by market, according to the research study released today in the journal npj Parkinson’s Disease.
Most individuals likewise did not receive important extra treatments, consisting of occupational treatment, speech-language treatment, and psychological health services, the research study kept in mind. For circumstances, while over half of Parkinson’s clients have anxiety, simply 2% received treatment.
Similarly, just one in 5 of individuals studied with the illness were seeing a physiotherapist.
By studying this big population with information gathered prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientists state they intend to develop a more regular standard for these care conditions to much better address these spaces in treatment moving forward.
“To understand how to best improve the level of care for people with [Parkinson’s], the Parkinson’s Foundation recently hosted a summit of care providers and people with [Parkinson’s] to understand and define best practices of high-quality, patient-centered PD care,” said James Beck, PhD, the chief clinical officer of the Parkinson’s Foundation and senior author of the research study. “Once we are able to define ‘best care,’ our goal will be to drive the adoption of those practices across disciplines – reducing barriers to improve equitable access to [Parkinson’s] care.
While there are many disparities to address in Parkinson’s care, the researchers said that in particular there is a need for more movement disorder specialists to help improve patient care and quality of life.
According to the researchers, there are only 660 of these specialists in the United States and just six in rural areas.
“This study is a clear indication that relying on only top-tier specialists to care for those with [Parkinson’s] is simply not feasible,” Beck informed Medical News Today. “There are too few movement disorders specialists in the U.S. Our general neurologists and primary care practitioners need additional support and, likely, training to improve the care they provide to their patients with [Parkinson’s].”
“It is an emotional study to review,” said Dr. Elana Clar, a neurologist and motion condition professional practicing in New Jersey. “As movement specialists, we always strive to provide the highest level of care, but this report is a sobering reminder about the challenges in uniformly delivering it to all the Parkinson’s patients who need it.”
However, while getting more experts trained is vital, the research study indicates other paths to much better take care of individuals with Parkinson’s.
“While increasing access to movement disorders specialists is the ultimate goal, this study suggests that collaboration with community neurologists and a multidisciplinary approach with other specialists (i.e., psychiatry) is critical to providing high quality, comprehensive care for this community,” Clar informed Medical News Today.
“With Parkinson’s, the key to a good quality of life is self-advocacy,” she included. “That means having a strong support network, remaining physically active, seeking out the right nutrition, and obtaining evaluations by the appropriate physicians.”
As for the future, one advantage that the COVID-19 pandemic had on healthcare was the increased usage of telemedicine, which professionals state might be important for broadening care to rural and underserved populations.
“The legislative changes that emerged during COVID for telemedicine will need to remain in place since virtual care clearly plays a key role in expanding outreach, education, and specialized care to the [Parkinson’s] communities that need it most,” Clar said.
Beck concurred.
“It will take time to implement changes in the healthcare system,” he said. “However, educating people on the need for better care can happen today. We encourage people with [Parkinson’s] and their loved ones to visit Parkinson.org or call the Parkinson’s Foundation Helpline at 1-800-473-4636 for more information.”
