Abstract
Despite recent advances in multiple sclerosis (MS) care, many patients only infrequently access health care services, or are unable to access them easily, for reasons such as mobility restrictions, travel costs, consultation and treatment time constraints, and a lack of locally available MS expert services. Advances in mobile communications have led to the introduction of electronic health (eHealth) technologies, which are helping to improve both access to and the quality of health care services. As the Internet is now readily accessible through smart mobile devices, most people can take advantage of eHealth apps. The development of digital applications and remote communication technologies for patients with MS has increased rapidly in recent years. These apps are intended to complement traditional in-clinic approaches and can bring significant benefits to both patients with MS and health care providers (HCPs). For patients, such eHealth apps have been shown to improve outcomes and increase access to care, disease information, and support. These apps also help patients to participate actively in self-management, for example, by tracking adherence to treatment, changes in bladder and bowel habits, and activity and mood. For HCPs, MS eHealth solutions can simplify the multidisciplinary approaches needed to tailor MS management strategies to individual patients; facilitate remote monitoring of patient symptoms, adverse events, and outcomes; enable the efficient use of limited resources and clinic time; and potentially allow more timely intervention than is possible with scheduled face-to-face visits. These benefits are important because MS is a long-term, multifaceted chronic condition that requires ongoing monitoring, assessment, and management. We identified in the literature 28 eHealth solutions for patients with MS that fall within the four categories of screening and assessment, disease monitoring and self-management, treatment and rehabilitation, and advice and education. We review each solution, focusing on any clinical evidence supporting their use from prospective trials (including ASSESS MS, Deprexis, MSdialog, and the Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test) and consider the opportunities, barriers to adoption, and potential pitfalls of eHealth technologies in routine health care.
Highlights
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease in which patients’ physical and cognitive abilities often worsen progressively [1]
We provide a narrative synthesis of previously published information obtained through a targeted literature search and informed by our personal experience and describe various electronic health (eHealth) solutions, summarizing the clinical evidence supporting their feasibility and use in patients with MS
There has been a rapid increase in the development, testing, and use of digital and remote communication technologies in MS in recent years, with numerous studies demonstrating the value of these tools
Summary
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease in which patients’ physical and cognitive abilities often worsen progressively [1]. As well as having to come to terms with these clinical changes, patients frequently find that MS has an impact on social aspects of their lives and those of family members It is very difficult for a single clinician to manage all areas of the disease; a multidisciplinary approach is advocated, involving a team of health care professionals (HCPs). Important limitations of existing management strategies in chronic diseases such as MS are that clinical evaluation is cross-sectional at particular times, requiring patients to attend regular follow-up visits in MS clinics and comprehensive assessments to be undertaken. This should happen at 6or 12-month intervals, but even at this frequency, mild relapses and disease progression may go unreported. There are significant implications for patients, their caregivers, and physicians in terms of access to, and provision of, MS health care services [1,4]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
