Multiple Sclerosis - Patient-oriented care in Lower Saxony
Multiple sclerosis is the most common chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. Around 24,000 people in Lower Saxony live with this diagnosis and often suffer from severe physical, cognitive and emotional impairments. But how are MS patients currently treated? And how can they be helped even better? To find out, the collaborative project "MS-PoV - Multiple Sclerosis - Patient-oriented care in Lower Saxony" started on April 1, 2020.
Research institutions, health insurances and patient associations have joined forces for this unique project. The Medical University of Hannover, represented by the Institute for Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Health System Research, is the consortium leader. Further project partners are the University of Oldenburg with the Department of Health Services Research and the Institute for Special and Rehabilitation Education, the AOK Lower Saxony (statuary health insurance) and the German Multiple Sclerosis Society (DMSG) with the chapter of Lower Saxony as the association of MS patients seconded by the MS Forschungs- und Projektentwicklungs-gGmbH (MSFP).
Over three years, a picture of the current care of MS patients will first be created by means of a survey of affected persons and treating physicians as well as the evaluation of data from the statutory health insurance and data from the MS registry. In a second step, concrete recommendations for action to improve care will be derived from this.
The DMSG Lower Saxony will accompany the project intensively and ensure a high degree of patient orientation. The neurological expertise will be ensured by the medical advisory board and MS experts consulted.
Roles
The MSFP develops, implements and monitors the online survey and provides, if the informed consent allows it, data from the MS registry. In addition, MSFP, togehter with the German Bundesdruckerei develops and maintains the processes to merge data from the online survey with registry and statutory health insurance data.