Malattia di Parkinson: educazione sanitaria per il miglioramento della salute dei parkinsoniani e razionalizzazione degli interventi

Parkinson's disease: education for improved patient health and rationalised intervention. Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second leading neurological cause of disability in adults and in the elderly. Globally, the management, particularly the pharmacological management, of these patients is complex. In order to treat PD complications and comorbid conditions, and problems directly related to the disease, PD patients generally use many and diverse hospital services. The phenomemon of patient migration to different healthcare providers can be seen as an important demonstration of the fact that PD patients feel the need to look for centres properly equipped to treat their disease, particularly in its complicated stages. Within the context of the Pavia Local Health Authority, a diagnostic-therapeutic process (DTP) has been set up for parkinsonian patients, which involves various professionals with relevant technological and methodological expertise, in particular consultant neurologists, rehabilitation specialists and general practitioners, as well as different local healthcare providers, both public and private. The end product has been summarised schematically in an easily consultable flow chart. The complete document, meanwhile, includes sections containing more detailed scientific information, available to users and of particular educational value, and bibliographic references indicating the sources drawn on in developing the recommendations contained in the DTP. The final part is devoted to problems relating to rehabilitation in PD. A pharmaco-epidemiological survey conducted in Varese has indicated that PD treatment, absorbing many healthcare resources, is potentially a source of a considerable and increasing economic burden. Furthermore, a direct correlation has been found between the number of healthcare resources used and both PD duration and patient age, suggesting that treating the disease becomes even more complex as these parameters increase.