On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. In order to contain the spread of this highly transmissible and deadly virus, public health authorities have recommended social distancing measures be in place in many parts of the world. People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are not at higher risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2. However, they may be at higher risk of severe disease if they develop COVID-19, particularly if they are treated with medications that impact their immune systems.
But the impact of the COVID-19 crisis will not be limited to those who develop the disease. In order to decrease the risk of severe illness in their patients, healthcare providers may modify their prescribing behavior and prefer low risk/ low efficacy medications rather than high risk/high efficacy drugs such as immune suppressants, which may lead to higher risk of relapses or progression of disease. Additionally, the prolonged lockdown and social distancing measures put in place to control the spread of the virus may have negative psychological consequences for MS patients and their care partners. It may also lead to decreased access to healthcare services such as neurological care or physical therapy, or make it difficult to obtain medications, which may contribute to negative health outcomes. Finally, the very significant impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the economy can lead to job or financial loss, which may have downstream effects on insurance coverage and ability to pay for medications and services.
As the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have a lasting impact on our society, it is critical to acknowledge and understand the experiences of people living with MS and their caretakers, as well as changes in healthcare access and provider behaviors during this crisis.
The overarching goal of this study is to help MS specialists develop innovative strategies to meet the evolving needs of our patients in these dramatic circumstances by:
- Understanding the impact of this unique pandemic on the MS community through a national survey led in collaboration with the MS Association of America (MSAA)
- Quantifying healthcare utilization and health outcomes using insurance claims data in collaboration with the Center for Health Care Data Research at UTHealth School of Public Health.
I you want to participate to the survey, click on the appropriate button, or use the links below 🙂
People with MS survey: Registrations are closed.
Care partner survey: Registrations are closed.
Provider survey: https://utexas.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_42bnNIlGoZBOjD7?Q_CHL=email
Frequently ask questions
If you have any question please send us an email at CopeMS@autin.utexas.edu or visit https://sites.utexas.edu/ms-io/copems-faq/
Who are we ?
Contact us : CopeMS@austin.utexas.edu
