Barriers to Accessing Healthcare Services for People with Parkinson’s Disease: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease is a complex condition that affects many different aspects of a person’s health. Because of its complexity, people with Parkinson’s disease require access to a variety of healthcare services. The aim of the present study was to identify the barriers to access healthcare services for people with Parkinson’s disease. We conducted a scoping review according to guidelines posed by Arksey & O’Malley (2005). A search of MEDLINE, Embase, CINHAL, and PsycINFO databases was conducted, and 38 articles were selected based on the inclusion criteria. The review findings identified person-level and system-level barriers. The person-level barriers included skills required to seek healthcare services, ability to engage in healthcare and cost for services. The system-level barriers included the availability of appropriate healthcare resources. Based on the existing barriers elucidated in the scope review, we have discussed potential areas in healthcare that require improvement for people with Parkinson’s disease to manage their healthcare needs more equitably.