parkinsonsnet-norway

Pioneering Parkinson’s healthcare programme that originated in the Netherlands announces new networks in Oslo and Stavanger


ParkinsonNet has partnered with the Norwegian government to launch its innovative Parkinson’s healthcare model in two pilot regions, Oslo and Stavanger.

The initiative, which originated in the Netherlands, ­utilises the ‘patient as partner’ approach, where people with Parkinson’s “co-design” their treatment programme in collaboration with a dedicated, multi-disciplinary team– accessed via ParkinsonNet’s online database of expert practitioners.

Magne Wang Fredriksen, Secretary General of the Norwegia Parkinson association, said: “Bringing ParkinsonNet to Norway is something we have long desired. Today this finally became truth and we look forward to introducing this model in Norway.”

The programme will start by training Norwegian providers in order to ensure a self-supporting, high quality and sustainable network.

Bent Høie, Norway’s Minister of Health, said: “The Norwegian government wants to learn from the Dutch ParkinsonNet and apply this to its own system as of 2017.

“People with a chronic condition are in need of long-term, high quality health care. We are convinced that knowledge and expertise is invaluable in providing high quality care. Organising the care for people with a chronic condition through networks like ParkinsonNet will help us provide high quality affordable healthcare tailored to each individual’s needs.”

ParkinsonNet improves access to specialised care – a common challenge in Parkinson’s treatment – for patients, while also lowering costs and reducing risk of injury. The initiative uses an ‘healthcare finder’ to connect patients with nearby highly trained specialists.

They first established the model in the Netherlands, and earlier this year, ParkinsonNet founders Dr Bastiaan Bloem and Dr Marten Menneke introduced the programme to Kaiser Permanente, one of America’s leading care providers in California, USA.


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