Disparities in Parkinson's Disease Care and Management

Disparities in the care and management of Parkinson’s disease manifest across multiple dimensions, including geography, socioeconomic status, ethnicity and healthcare infrastructure. In many high-income settings, people with Parkinson’s disease encounter unequal access to neurologists and specialised movement disorder services, resulting in under-utilisation of evidence-based interventions such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. In low- and middle-income countries, barriers encompass limited specialist provision, low public and professional awareness of the condition, cultural misconceptions and stigma that delay diagnosis and hinder adherence to treatment. Rural dwellers and marginalised ethnic groups often face longer diagnostic journeys, fewer follow-up visits and lower uptake of multidisciplinary care. Digital recruitment and telemedicine platforms have the potential to broaden participation and bridge certain gaps, yet technological and literacy divides risk perpetuating new inequities. Addressing these disparities requires coordinated efforts in policy, patient education, workforce training and community support mechanisms to ensure that advances in Parkinson’s disease management reach all populations equitably.

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Disparities in Parkinson's Disease Care and Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in disparities in parkinson's disease care and management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Movement disorder specialist (MDS): A neurologist with additional expertise in diagnosing and managing movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.

Health-care utilisation: Patterns of access to and use of medical services by individuals or populations.

Multidisciplinary care: A coordinated treatment approach involving professionals from different specialties (e.g. neurology, physiotherapy, speech therapy).

Stigma: Negative social attitudes and discrimination directed at individuals because of a medical condition.

Socioeconomic status (SES): A composite measure of an individual’s economic and social position, based on income, education and occupation.

References

1. Care access and utilization among medicare beneficiaries living with Parkinson’s disease. npj Parkinson's Disease (2023).
2. The role of support groups in the management of Parkinson’s disease in Kenya: Sociality, information and legitimacy. Global Public Health (2021).
3. Knowledge and Attitudes of Parkinson′s Disease in Rural and Urban Mukono District, Uganda: A Cross‐Sectional, Community‐Based Study. Parkinson's Disease (2015).