Impact of a specific consultation for patients with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis on the response to their unmet care needs: a cross-sectional study

Background: As their disease evolves, most patients with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) develop particular healthcare needs that are not always addressed with usual follow-up. To adapt neurological care to these patients, we created a specific consultation for patients with progressive MS in our centre in 2019.Objectives: To explore the main unmet care needs of patients with progressive MS in our setting, and to establish the usefulness of the specific consultation to address them. Methods: Literature review and interviews with patients and healthcare professionals were conducted to identify the main unmet needs in routine follow-up. Two questionnaires were developed, assessing the importance of the unmet needs identified and the usefulness of the consultation to meet them, for patients under follow-up in the specific consultation and their informal caregivers.Results: Forty-one patients and nineteen informal caregivers participated. The most important unmet needs were the information about the disease, access to social services and coordination between specialists. A positive correlation was found between the importance of these unmet needs and the responsiveness to each of them in the specific consultation. Conclusions: The creation of a specific consultation may improve attention to the healthcare needs of patients with progressive MS.