Movement Disorders

Healthcare inequities continue to affect people living with Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders, as well as their care partners, their families, and their communities. These inequities are multifaceted and deeply influence the quality of health care, education, and research opportunities they receive. Recommendations to promote equity in this population include adopting equitable models of multidisciplinary care, palliative care, home visits and virtual health, improving the effectiveness of education strategies (for example by focusing on cultural humility and cross-cultural communication), and empowering people and communities (for example by promoting and supporting community-initiated quality improvement and research projects). We need to address several gaps in the knowledge of inequities and their consequences. We also need to integrate accountability and enforceability of a minimum set of equity standards. Purposefully taking these steps will move us all toward more equitable environments and outcomes for the people we serve.