Comparing patient and healthcare professional perceptions on multiple sclerosis management and care – where do their priorities differ? Results from a qualitative survey. Presented at ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS, Paris, France

This poster was presented at the annual congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) in 2017, and reports on results from a 10-question electronic survey developed by the MS in the 21^st Century to compare the MS management and care priorities of healthcare professionals (HCPs) and people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), and identify disparities between HCP and PwMS perceptions on communication barriers and unmet needs in MS care.

Results showed that HCPs and PwMS often have different perceptions of their interactions, which can negatively impact the standard of care PwMS receive. Notable areas of disconnect between PwMS and HCPs include patient support at diagnosis, shared treatment decision-making and communicating about disease progression, of which one in four PwMS report having not discussed disease progression with their HCP. Joint education of HCPs and PwMS and the production of more patient-focused education resources could help support better communication between HCPs and PwMS.