Economic Burden and Quality of Life in Parkinson's Disease
Summary
Parkinson’s disease imposes a profound economic burden on patients, families and health systems worldwide. Direct medical costs—comprising hospitalisation, pharmaceuticals, specialist consultations and supportive therapies—rise steeply with disease severity, while indirect costs such as lost productivity, informal caregiving and disability payments further compound total expenditures. Non-motor symptoms and motor fluctuations diminish health-related quality of life (HRQoL), heightening the need for multidisciplinary care and long-term social support. Variations in cost and access to services across regions underscore the role of socioeconomic factors and healthcare infrastructure. Interventions that delay progression, optimise symptom control or reduce hospital admissions may yield substantial cost savings and improve patient well-being.
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Economic Burden and Quality of Life in Parkinson's Disease publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in economic burden and quality of life in parkinson's disease across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Direct costs: Expenditures for medical care, including hospital stays, medications and professional services.
Indirect costs: Economic losses from reduced work productivity, informal caregiving and premature mortality.
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL): A measure of physical, mental and social well-being as influenced by disease or treatment.
Hoehn and Yahr scale: A clinical staging system for Parkinson’s disease severity, ranging from stage I (mild) to stage V (severe).
References
- Current and projected future economic burden of Parkinson’s disease in the U.S.. npj Parkinson's Disease (2020).
- Cost of Living with Parkinson’s Disease over 12 Months in Australia: A Prospective Cohort Study. Parkinson's Disease (2017).
- Economic Burden Analysis of Parkinson’s Disease Patients in China. Parkinson's Disease (2017).
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