Global MS analysis links disability burden to rising economic strain

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a severe, progressive autoimmune disease that takes a personal and economic toll. To address this, a new Economic Impact global report called ‘Measuring what matters: bridging the gap between disability impact and economic burden in multiple sclerosis’ calls for a global strategy focused on more comprehensive, patient-centered care.

The report, sponsored by Sanofi, consists of a survey of 850 neurologists, a research review, and an economic analysis of MS disease burden across the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

“What is measured shapes what is managed,” the researchers, including Gerard Dunleavy, Ph.D., health policy economist at Economic Impact, write in the report. “By evolving the assessment landscape to better reflect the daily reality of living with MS, Economist Impact hopes to help bridge the gap between clinical metrics and lived experience, ultimately ensuring that invisible symptoms are no longer unmeasured and unaddressed.”