[Care of patients with Parkinson's disease in Germany]

Abstract

In Germany various concepts for treating patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are available, e.g. oral medication with levodopa or deep brain stimulation (DBS), depending on the stage and severity of symptoms and also multidisciplinary management up to intersectoral treatment approaches (e.g. complex PD treatment and integrative care concepts). Nevertheless, in the treatment of patients with PD a comprehensive provision of services and a nationwide standardized collation of treatment quality are so far lacking. This is particularly true for technically complicated procedures, which necessitate a high standard of expertise by the treating physician. Some of these challenges could be overcome by expanding digital approaches (e.g. teleneurological consultation and wearables) and by introducing quality assurance initiatives (e.g. comprehensive registries and certification programs).

Keywords: Diagnostics; Inpatient treatment; Mobile health; Outpatient treatment; Quality assurance.