4 High-Impact Solutions to Transform Parkinson’s Care in the U.S.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) care in the U.S. is at a critical crossroads. As the population ages, more people are being diagnosed with PD. The growing number of people living with PD is outpacing the number of neurologists, creating gaps in access to PD care and impacting quality of life for people with PD and their loved ones. The Parkinson’s Foundation is taking action, identifying ways to improve Parkinson’s care on a national scale.
On September 4, 2025, the Parkinson’s Foundation led The National Roundtable on Parkinson’s Care and Innovation in Washington, D.C., with support provided by Manatt Health. The Foundation organized this first-of-its-kind convening with the goal of identifying solutions to address the most pressing national challenges in Parkinson’s care. Participants included people living with PD, care partners, physicians, health care providers, health system leaders, policy experts and innovators across disciplines and industries — inside and outside of the PD space.
Roundtable participants discussed what is and is not working in PD care and what must change to improve outcomes, reduce costs and ease care partner strain. Their discussion resulted in a new multiyear roadmap to transform PD care called Parkinson’s Care and Innovation: A Patient-Centered Agenda for Change.
“The four priorities in care that came out of the roundtable are not one-size-fits-all solutions, they reflect the nuances of living with this disease. These priorities identify practical, actionable steps to strengthen Parkinson’s care, improve coordination and ensure that people with Parkinson’s receive the support they need to live well,” said Chief Medical Officer of the Parkinson’s Foundation, Sneha Mantri, MD, MS.
Below are the four high-impact, actionable solutions to transform PD care in the U.S.:
1. Create networks to support general neurologists and primary care who provide Parkinson's care.
With only 660 movement disorder specialists practicing in the U.S., most people with Parkinson’s receive their PD care from a general neurologist or primary care provider. These community clinicians often have less experience and expertise in PD.
To ensure that all people with PD have access to high-quality, evidence-based care regardless of where they live or receive treatment, it is critical that we extend PD expertise to community clinicians.
Education and consultation networks that connect community clinicians with movement disorders specialists can provide the support community clinicians need to navigate the complexities of PD diagnosis and treatment. Equipping community clinicians with these resources and tools can help people with PD access high-quality Parkinson’s care closer to home.
Resources available now to help make this a reality:
- People with Parkinson’s and care partners can explore ways to play an active role in optimizing their care.
- General neurologists and primary care providers can explore Parkinson’s Foundation resources and patient education materials.
2. Develop a care model that makes it easier for people with PD to access services they need to live well.
Quality Parkinson’s care uses a team-based approach that focuses on what matters most to the person with PD. PD care should be tailored to each person and connect them to rehabilitative therapies, mental health and complementary medicine.
However, across the U.S., the availability of providers varies, making it difficult for people with PD and care partners to navigate and access services. For example, compared to those in urban areas, people with PD living in rural areas typically have less access to movement disorders specialists and can find it difficult to build a care team trained in PD.
The PD community needs an evidence-based care model that can be adapted to communities across the U.S. Among many positive outcomes, goals of creating this care model include accelerating time to diagnosis, helping people get the services they need, and addressing the impact of care coordination often felt by care partners.
Resources available now to help make this a reality:
- Healthcare practitioners can explore our Paul Oreffice Innovations in Care Awards and nurse fellowships.
3. Make it easier for health professionals to share information across care settings.
Parkinson’s requires care from a variety of health professionals across many care settings. Ideally, when a person with PD moves between doctors and specialists, these providers would be able to share information with one another. However, limitations in current systems and technology make it challenging for clinicians to communicate, even when treating the same person.
To address this challenge, the PD community needs a standardized clinical data set. This universal data set would serve as a common language across all care settings, ensuring that every time a person with PD sees a clinician, that provider can access essential information, such as past and current treatment plans.
A standardized PD data set would allow health care providers to see the full picture of their patient, and better tailor treatment for them. In the long-term, this data set could also help improve our understanding of Parkinson’s and lay the groundwork for future innovations in care.
Resources available now to help make this a reality:
- Make your voice heard. Sign up for Parkinson’s Foundation Surveys.
- The Parkinson’s Foundation Global Care Network connects people diagnosed with PD to expert clinical care that supports their symptoms management and quality of life.
4. Encourage technological developments grounded in real PD experiences.
Every year there are new ways people with PD can use technology to help manage symptoms. A variety of tech-driven tools are now available to support people with PD, care partners and clinicians. However, these tools have not been widely adopted.
Technology has the potential to transform Parkinson’s care — but only if it reflects real-world needs. Tech-driven tools and innovations must be grounded in the lived experiences of people with Parkinson’s and care partners and must generate data that is easily used by clinicians to inform treatment.
The PD community needs a framework that guides innovation and investment in Parkinson’s technology. This framework would identify the most important problems to address, those who would realistically use this technology and the collaboration and investments needed to bring the technology to life. The framework will ensure innovation is centered on people with Parkinson’s and care partners.
What’s Next: How to Implement These Changes
Bringing attention to these four high-impact solutions to transform PD care in the U.S. are only the beginning.
“This specific, achievable, and robust agenda gives our community a much-needed action plan to address the challenges that so many of us face. Following these steps will make life better for people with Parkinson’s now and in the future. Time is precious and we have no time to waste!"
-Kathy Blake, Chair of the People with Parkinson’s Advisory Council, retired cardiologist and Roundtable participant
Improving Parkinson’s care on a national scale requires bold ideas, working across PD organizations and the continued commitment to make life better for people with Parkinson’s. As a national leader in Parkinson’s care, the Foundation is has built these four priorities into its strategic plan. Through working with policymakers, clinicians, researchers, industry partners and people living with Parkinson’s, the Foundation works to drive change when it comes to care.
Today, the Foundation is working to drive change through policy. Once the National Parkinson’s Project Advisory Council is seated, council members can use these four ways to improve Parkinson’s care in the U.S. as a roadmap to improve health outcomes for people with PD.
The Parkinson’s Foundation is committed to playing a role in advancing these solutions, ensuring the voices of people with Parkinson’s are heard.
To read more insights from the Parkinson’s Foundation National Roundtable on Parkinson’s Care and Innovation explore our Parkinson's Care and Innovation: A Patient-Centered Agenda for Change.
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