Empowerment, the second pillar of Parkinson’s Europe’s strategy, was the driver behind the Parkinson’s Europe board visiting an innovative educational facility in Belgium in early November.
Through this pillar, Parkinson’s Europe promises to empower people with Parkinson’s with knowledge about their condition and the treatments available, and DBS Select at Health House in Leuven is a perfect example of this.
An innovative and interactive educational exhibition and guided tour about Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), it aims to demystify the procedure and increase understanding among people with Parkinson’s considering the treatment.
At DBS Select, prospective patients engage with interactive platforms and videos of patient testimonials. There is also the chance to ask questions in person about all aspects of the surgery and what benefits you might expect afterwards, as well as to voice any concerns about potential side effects.
The visit took place in the context of a potential future partnership between Parkinson’s Europe and Health House, which has an ambitious growth plan for the DBS Select programme. In the next two years, it aims for it to reach 2,000 people affected by Parkinson’s, and to expand from four to 25 centres by the end of 2030, and it sees Parkinson’s Europe as a key partner in helping it achieve this goal.
One possible scenario, which aligns with Parkinson’s Europe’s Empowerment strategic pillar, is a potential larger event at DBS Select next year, to which Member Organisations, volunteers, Board members and stakeholders would be invited.
Education makes a difference
Parkinson’s Europe board members were full of praise after their visit. Commenting on how important it is for people with Parkinson’s to have access to this kind of educational experience, Parkinson’s Europe board member Elisabeth Ildal said: “It’s totally important, because you have to look into things and get the right information. And it has always been a question of education to get a better quality of life when you have Parkinson’s.”
Cathy Molohan, a Parkinson’s Europe board member who has had DBS, said: “The experience today really showed me how much you can do to lower the barriers for people with Parkinson’s who are considering DBS. It was incredibly interactive, incredibly informative, and I wish I’d had it before I made my decision [to have DBS] in 2020 – it would have made a big difference.”
Angelique van Oosten, Senior Account Manager, Deep Brain Stimulation at Boston Scientific, said: “I had a wonderful experience experiencing DBS Select at Health House. It’s an innovative way to educate patients and provide a good overview of the procedure. Both the pros and cons are covered in a wonderful, honest and open way.”
Nathalie Courtine, Principal Patient Marketing Specialist Neuromodulation at Medtronic International, said “The DBS select programme is a great education programme for people with Parkinson’s considering deep brain stimulation. It’s very well organised, very well structured and done in a very transparent way, giving the right information to the patients.”
Parkinson’s Europe President Josefa Domingos said: “I think it’s a wonderful idea to enhance the educational tools that we have at this moment. Education is one of the most important things that we can do for people with Parkinson’s because of all the misinformation.”
Sponsored by Parkinson’s Europe industry partners Boston Scientific and Medtronic, the visit was part of a trip to Belgium which also included a valuable meeting at the European Parliament with MEP Tomislav Sokol.
