From retail to banking to how we access public services, new technologies and approaches are transforming the way that we live our lives.
That transformation is also starting to reshape the care of patients living with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease which are the third most common cause of disability and premature death in the EU. The economic burden of Parkinson’s is already estimated to be €14bn annually across Europe and the prevalence of neurological conditions is set to increase as the European population ages.
Professor Francesca Morgante is a professor of neurology and a consultant neurologist who sits on the Executive Committee of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. She sees the impact of Parkinson’s on patients in her day-to-day work. Professor Morgante warns that increasing numbers of those affected by the condition is creating healthcare challenges for Europe.
“Parkinson's is the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease globally,” she told The Parliament. “Europe is facing the challenges of providing holistic care to people with Parkinson’s disease, a complex disease affecting movement, mental health and cognitive functions.”
Although innovative technologies, medicines, and treatment pathways are opening up new routes that address unmet need and improve outcomes for Parkinson’s patients there remains a challenge around uneven access to care.
Amelia Hursey is Research Manager for Parkinson’s Europe, a pan-European patient advocacy organisation. She told The Parliament that limited access was being exacerbated by a pan-European workforce crisis that means care is often not available when and where it is needed.
“The challenge that many people with Parkinson's in Europe face is the ability to access a Parkinson's specialist care team,” she explained. “Unfortunately, the number of Parkinson's medical specialists being trained and employed in hospitals is not even close to being equal to the number of people who have already been diagnosed with Parkinsons and the number of new people receiving a diagnosis every day.”
With a perfect storm of rising demand and a workforce that is not keeping pace, new solutions are needed that can leverage emerging medicines and technologies to improve access to care. With the proposed EU Pharmaceutical Strategy under discussion, that need to focus on new ways to address patient needs feel particularly timely.
Marie O’Meara, International Medical Director, Parkinson’s Disease at pharmaceutical leader AbbVie sees evidence that the adoption of new models is already leading to improved outcomes.
“Working with European patient and clinical groups, we have seen positive examples of health teams not only adopting innovation to improve outcomes but also redesigning services around those innovations to bring care closer to home,” she told The Parliament.
Europe is facing a challenge providing holistic care to people with Parkinson’s disease - the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease globally
AbbVie has worked collaboratively with clinical experts and patient groups to understand and address the gaps that exist in Parkinson’s care. What emerged from these discussions was a need to move beyond seeing this as a “choice” between an improved and better coordinated workforce and advanced new treatments. Those working in the field are clear that it needs to be both. That message will be at the heart of a soon-to-be-launched pan-European Call to Action supported by many of Europe’s leading neurological societies.
“A multidisciplinary team with a holistic approach and expertise in advanced therapies can impact on quality of life in people with Parkinson,” Professor Morgante explains. “That is the only solution to deal with the complexities of Parkinson’s disease and ensure access to advanced treatments.”
Research projects in the Netherlands and France, have already demonstrated how specialised teams can help patients in living with advanced treatments and Ameila Hursey agrees that expanded clinical expertise goes hand-in-hand with advanced treatments.
“By employing more specialist nurses and supporting them with new technologies and systems, the ongoing care of people with Parkinson's can be optimised and we can avoid health systems being burdened by people reaching crisis point,” she tells us.
Croatian MEP Tomislav Sokol told The Parliament that the integration of technology is already transforming care for those with Parkinson’s and is enabling those with the condition to live longer and live better.
“Innovative treatments for Parkinson’s disease, such as AI tools to identify early biomarkers, advanced therapies and multidisciplinary teams, are transforming how the condition is both diagnosed and managed,” Sokol told us. “These advances, along with recent breakthroughs in understanding the disease allowed by basic research, offer hope to significantly prevent its progression before symptoms arise.”[7]
Marie O’Meara from AbbVie agrees with Sokol that harnessing therapeutic developments in advanced Parkinson’s has the potential to transform care and improve lives. She told The Parliament that this can bring benefits to both patients and support a wider healthcare system under strain.
“First, it can improve not only the individual’s quality of life in truly meaningful ways but also that of their caregiver, who is often a loved one,” she explained. “Second, raising standards of care can keep patients out of hospital and social care services, through optimal symptom control, reducing the need for hospital visits and maintaining independence for longer.”[8]
For that to happen, MEP Sokol believes that there needs to be ongoing political leadership and funding support that can translate cutting-edge research into new treatments.
“To sustain this momentum and tackle the burden of brain disorders, neurological and mental alike, the European Union must prioritise funding of both basic and translational research,” he told us. “That can foster collaboration and innovation across all disorders of the brain to leverage benefits throughout the continent's healthcare landscape.”
That research funding, alongside the system changes and access to advanced treatments called for by leading neurological stakeholders, can provide a clear roadmap for improving advanced Parkinson’s care across Europe.