An eight-country perspective argues that telemedicine, wearables and home sensors, augmented AI and mobile health can distribute expertise, observe symptoms between visits and support self-management, particularly where neurologists are scarce. Impact depends on infrastructure, interoperability, workforce, governance and equity-first hybrid care, not devices alone.
Key findings
- Telemedicine can decouple expertise from geography; sensors extend observation beyond clinic visits; AI should augment rather than autonomously decide; and mobile health can support self-management. The cited projection of more than 25 million people by 2050 is external context, not a new estimate generated here.
Why this matters globally
LMIC disease burden may grow faster than specialist capacity. Distributed capability shifts attention from purchasing devices to referral networks, task-sharing, longitudinal data and patient rights, with relevance beyond Parkinson disease.
Thai researcher contribution
Professor Roongroj Bhidayasiri and the Chulalongkorn–Thai Red Cross network led the perspective with experts across regions, bringing Asian health-system experience into the global brain-health agenda.
Limitations to consider
Expert perspectives invite selection and advocacy bias. There is no systematic search, quality appraisal, effect size, cost or harm estimate. Technology can widen digital divides, surveillance, false alerts, workload and vendor lock-in, excluding people by language, income, literacy or disability.