Supporting Value-Based and Integrated Care Models for Parkinson’s Disease

Introduction

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive condition of largely unknown cause that affects the nervous system and all innervated parts of the body. Despite the range of motor and non-motor-related symptoms that a patient with PD may experience, current treatment options are often limited to unimodal medical management interventions. The heterogeneity and complexity of individual circumstances for those living with PD necessitates more comprehensive approaches, including nonpharmacological measures such as physiotherapy and speech therapy, which focus on improving quality of life for individuals and their caregivers.

In this paper, the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy describes a new model for PD care, services, and payment approaches that can be adjusted for different levels of infrastructure and resource capabilities. To more effectively manage symptoms and disease progression, greater flexibility is required to provide coordinated care and longitudinal management of PD. Accompanying payment components of the model are designed to support proactive and protracted care, flexible care delivery, and accountability for long-term outcomes. Our proposal reflects independent analysis of existing PD care models, semi-structured stakeholder interviews, and insights from an expert workshop.

Read the full paper here.