MS Speaks

General practitioners prefer to manage long-term care for MS patients

A new survey finds that for multiple sclerosis patients with a stable disease course, a significant number of general practitioners are willing to manage long-term care for MS patients.
 
Researchers, led by Mathieu Bray of the University of Michigan’s Department of Biostatistics, set out to describe preferences of Canadian general practitioners with regards to providing care for MS patients.
 
Respondents were asked about their preferences using four clinical situations describing possible patients experiencing different stages of MS. Respondents were asked whether they would continue managing the patient themselves, formally refer the patient to a specialist, or seek specialist advice.
 
They found in two scenarios representing stable courses, 40.9 percent and 61.6 percent of general practitioners, respectively, intended to manage the patient themselves. General practitioners who reported having experience with MS patients were more likely to report an intention to continue management.
 
The findings were published in The Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences.