Clinical Guideline

Overview

The aim of the Canadian Guideline for Parkinson Disease 2^nd Edition is to enhance care for all Canadians with Parkinson disease. The Guideline is:

• based on the best published evidence
• involves expert consensus when there is a lack of evidence
• offers practical clinical advice
• takes into account patient choice and informed decision-making
• is relevant to the Canadian health care system

The updated Guideline provides a comprehensive review of this complex disease with an emphasis on communication, diagnosis and progression, treatment and non-motor features, and the new addition of recommendations of palliative care. The five sections are summarized by an easy-to-reference infographic;

View the Canadian Guideline For Parkinson Disease.

View the Executive summary.

View Infographic

View resources for Health Professionals

Podcast

In an interview, Dr. David Grimes and Dr. Tiago Mestre discuss diagnosis and management of Parkinson disease, including: how to first recognize it, progression, treatment (medications, deep brain stimulation, exercise), non-motor features such as depression, and palliative care. Dr. Grimes and Dr. Mestre are two of the authors of a new Canadian Guideline for Parkinson Disease 2^nd Edition.

Background

The initial Canadian Guidelines on Parkinson’s Disease were published in 2012 and were based on a comprehensive search to identify previously published guidelines on Parkinson disease up to 2008. 

The Canadian Guideline for Parkinson Disease 2^nd Edition, published September 2019 was updated with input from movement disorder specialists, functional neurosurgical specialists, family physicians, nurses, methodologists, psychiatrists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, neuropsychologists, and individuals with Parkinson disease, as well as Parkinson Canada.The Canadian Guideline for Parkinson Disease 2^nd Edition is for healthcare professionals to use in clinical practice. If you are a policy-maker, funding body, person with Parkinson’s disease, a care partner or family, we encourage you to use this document to enhance care for individuals living with Parkinson’s.

“The guideline represents a great effort to streamline the management of Parkinson disease across Canada…Managing the complexity of Parkinson disease requires clear, standardized procedures that can be used by all actors involved.”