Movement disorders are a major cause of disability worldwide and their increasing prevalence predicts a substantial future burden of care. Impactful patient care requires availability of, and accessibility to, effective medications, knowledge, and disease awareness among both medical professionals and patients, driven by skilled personnel to harness and manage resources. The highest burden of movement disorders is in low-to-middle income countries where resources are often limited and infrastructure is insufficient to meet growing demands. This article focuses on the specific challenges faced in the management and delivery of care for movement disorders in Indochina, the mainland region of Southeast Asia comprising the neighboring countries of Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. The first Indochina Movement Disorders Conference was held in August 2022 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to provide a platform to better understand the situation in the region. Future management of movement disorders in Indochina will require progressive adaptation of existing practices to reflect modern approaches to care delivery. Digital technologies offer an opportunity to strengthen these processes and address the challenges identified in the region. Ultimately, a long-term collaborative approach by regional healthcare providers is key.
An international panel of movement disorders specialists explored the views and perceptions of people with Parkinson's disease (PD) about their condition and its treatment, including the potential mismatch between the clinician's view of the patient's condition and their own view of what aspects of the disease most affect their daily lives. The initiative was focused on Asian countries, so participants comprised experts in the management of PD from key centers in Asia, with additional insight provided by European and the North American movement disorders experts. Analysis of peer-reviewed publications on patient perceptions of PD and the factors that they consider important to their wellbeing identified several contributing factors to the mismatch of views, including gaps in knowledge of PD and its treatment, an understanding of the clinical heterogeneity of PD, and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to patient care. The faculty proposed options to bridge these gaps to ensure that PD patients receive the personalized treatment they need to achieve the best possible outcomes. It was considered essential to improve patient knowledge about PD and its treatment, as well as increasing the awareness of clinicians of PD heterogeneity in presentation and treatment response. A multidisciplinary and shared-care approach to PD was needed alongside the use of patient-centered outcome measures in clinical trials and clinical practice to better capture the patient experience and improve the delivery of individualized therapy.