On World Parkinson’s Day, observed on April 11, new Diagnostic-Therapeutic-Assistance Pathways (PDTA) guidelines were unveiled at Italy’s National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità), with the aim of redefining how the disease is managed across the country.
New PDTA Pathways and Health Policy
The document stems from the work of a multidisciplinary team that brought together physiatry experts and representatives of SIMFER, with the goal of structuring care paths that are more homogeneous, timely, and centered on the person’s needs.
Alongside this, the institutional framework is showing tangible signs of progress. With the approval, in December 2025, of a dedicated amendment, specific funds were allocated for programs of early diagnosis and patient management. Beginning in 2026, a portion of the Prevention division of the National Health Fund will be earmarked for the development of structured interventions, strengthening the system’s ability to respond effectively and promptly to the needs of people living with Parkinson’s disease.
The Role of Rehabilitation in Care
In this context, the role of rehabilitative medicine stands out prominently. As emphasized by Giovanni Iolascon, national president of SIMFER, rehabilitation must be regarded as an integral part of the care pathway, not a supplementary add-on. The rehabilitation need, in fact, is continuous and accompanies the person from the moment of diagnosis, necessitating a shift in thinking away from an episodic approach that remains too common.
The biopsychosocial approach stands as the central reference framework for managing the condition: not only treating the disease, but providing holistic care for the person. In this light, rehabilitation becomes an essential tool for preserving autonomy, supporting social participation, and improving quality of life, adapting dynamically to the disease’s clinical evolution.
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