Quality Indicators Established for Multiple Sclerosis Care

Most highly rated MS care domains include bladder dysfunction, cognitive problems, depression

MONDAY, Aug. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Using rigorous methodology, a team of researchers has developed a list of quality indicators for measuring the health care of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a research paper published in the August issue of Multiple Sclerosis.

Eric M. Cheng, M.D., of the University of California in Los Angeles, and colleagues used a version of the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method to determine relevant MS care domains and evaluate the validity of indicators in high-ranking care domains.

After identifying MS and general health domains through interviews and literature reviews, a multidisciplinary panel of 15 stakeholders of MS care, including four persons with MS, identified 86 MS care indicators, 76 of which were validated. The MS care domains rated highest included appropriate and timely diagnostic evaluation, cognitive trouble, depression, bladder dysfunction, use of disease-modifying agents, fatigue, integration of care, and spasticity.

"Following a widely accepted methodology, we developed a comprehensive set of quality indicators for MS care that can be used to assess quality of care and guide the design of interventions to improve care among persons with MS," the authors write.

One author disclosed financial ties to Ingenix; another author reported financial ties to Teva Neuroscience and Serono.

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