Attempt to Explore Health Inequalities in Minoritized Ethnicities with Parkinson’s Disease within Movement Disorder Services

Abstract

Healthcare inequalities in Parkinson’s Disease are an under-researched field. Minoritized ethnicities were proven to experience healthcare inequalities in similar health conditions and to be underrepresented in clinical research. Aims To explore healthcare inequalities of Parkinson’s patients from minoritized ethnicities in Movement disorder Services (MDS) within the National Health System (NHS). Methodology/Findings An ethnicity Audit was utilized to explore the estimated representation of minoritized ethnicities in MDS, in comparison to the White British population. Sim-structured interviews were conducted with healthcare providers to gain insight into healthcare inequalities and minoritized ethnicities. The audit data provided inconclusive results, because of limitations in the overall data. On the other hand, Reflexive Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the interviews, and results were supported by the evidence-based literature, with some limitations that might restricted the generalizability of the findings. Conclusion Despite some challenges and limitations in the study, findings suggest that minoritised ethnicities might be underrepresented in MDS. Obstacles to proper healthcare might be experienced by minoritised ethnicities, such as language barriers, limited translation services, and limited access to specialised services. It is recommended that Policymakers review the current barriers to service, further research is required to investigate health inequalities in MDS.