Parkinson’s Patients’ Utilization of Deep Brain Stimulation Treatment Reduced in Demographic Groups

According to a new report by a Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania researcher, among Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients, female, black, and Asian patients are substantially less likely to receive proven deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery to improve tremors and motor symptoms. The researcher identified considerable disparities among Medicare recipients receiving DBS for Parkinson’s disease. The study, published in Neurology, found that patients from neighborhoods of lower socioeconomic status were less likely to receive DBS, regardless of race or sex. And patients of minority-serving physician practices also were less likely to receive DBS, irrespective of race. The study demonstrates a need to adjust policy and incentives to provide state-of-the-art care for all Parkinson’s patients. To read the full article, please click here.