Since routine outpatient procedures may pose special needs and risks for someone with Parkinson's disease (PD), extra planning is in order for the period before, during, and after the procedure. The procedures may be medical or dental, for example, teeth cleanings, colonoscopy, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Fortunately, the Parkinson's Foundation has developed a course that highlights key recommendations and strategies to promote optimal care and health outcomes for people with PD during planned and unplanned hospital stays, which can include inpatient, outpatient, and emergency department hospital encounters.

In this podcast episode, movement disorders neurologist Muhammad Nashatizadeh, MD of the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, a Parkinson's Foundation Center of Excellence, discusses how people with PD can incorporate this same safety protocol to ensure optimal outcomes when they plan for and have routine outpatient healthcare procedures.