RealTalk MS and MS21 return for another collaborative podcast episode called ‘Guiding the Future of MS Care: MS21 Consensus Recommendations on Improving MS Care to Relieve the Burden of Disease.” This episode features Amanda Montague, Interim President and CEO of MSAA, and Professor Elisabeth G Celius, Consultant Neurologist at Oslo University Hospital in Norway.

In this new episode, host Jon Strum leads a discussion about the work that MS21 has done to define the care priorities that need to be addressed to relieve people with MS from the burden of their symptoms. Elisabeth explains that these recommendations are an update to the ones developed in 2013, reflects on what has changed over the last decade, and defines the minimum standard of care that should be aimed for, across the world, to relieve the burden of MS symptoms.

Amanda shares her personal experience of how MS care has changed over the past 10 years and the personal experiences that shaped her approach to finalizing the recommendations. Adding to this, Elisabeth shares the top 3 MS care priorities, which were selected by both people with MS and HCPs (demonstrating community alignment):

1. Access to quick and decisive treatment after diagnosis
2. Access to multifunctional care (eg, rehabilitation and psychologic support)
3. Treatment options to manage invisible symptoms

Wrapping up the session, both Amanda and Elisabeth discuss the potential positive impacts of these recommendations, such as providing a roadmap of care to aspire to (even in areas where resources are limited), empowering patients to ask for better care, and raising awareness of what good care should look like around the world.

“It hopefully will provide a perspective for people to look at and engage in meaningful conversations about how to actually improve their care.” [Amanda Montague]

“I do hope that we can continue to work together in such groups… both for the holistic care and the research into these unmet needs.” [Professor Elisabeth G Celius]

To learn more about the research that went into these recommendations, read the article here and the poster here.

To listen to the full podcast episode, click the button below.

For more podcasts on important MS topics, visit the Podcast section of the site here.