Large Scale Survey of Patients with MS Uncovers Significant Barriers to Care: 42% of Respondents Do Not See an MS Specialist

Results from a large-scale, national survey highlight the significant barriers that people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) face in accessing resources and health care in the United States. The top barriers identified from the survey commissioned by The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) in collaboration with Genentech and presented at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) included

• Affordability of medical care (35.47%)
• Not being able to find MS care in their community (33.14%)
• Difficulty finding doctors to coordinate care (31.10%)
• Lack of health insurance (20.06%)
• Not having access to transportation (18.60%)

The bilingual survey received 620 responses, with nearly 70% of respondents living with MS for over 11 years. Two other notable findings from the survey:

• 43% reported being unable to work due to MS disability
• 42% did not see an MS specialist for their care 

The survey was designed with input from experts in MS care, patient advocacy, and industry partners, and sought to document and understand unmet needs and barriers to accessing care. 

MSAA plans to analyze the data to identify unique unmet needs in specific geographic areas and bring together stakeholders to design personalized interventions for these underserved MS communities.