Rehabilitation, Support Services Underused Among MS Patients In Australia
A recent study indicates that while MS patients in Australia have rates of disability and symptom experience comparable with other groups of MS patients, Australian MS patients appear to underutilize rehabilitation and support services.
To evaluate the experience of patients with MS from a sample of Australians, researchers evaluated 101 MS patients who lived at home. The investigators administered questionnaires to the patients, their caregivers and their physicians. The surveys collected information about symptoms or problems affecting daily life, quality of life, caregiver strain and perceived burden of care. Data on the patients were also obtained from the patients' hospital database.
The authors found that the patients' average age was 49 years. Patients who were more severely affected had a significantly reduced quality of life and a higher burden of care than those with more mild disability. However, there was not complete agreement between the patients, caregivers and doctors regarding perception of problems and symptom experiences.
Forty patients used interferon, and 20 of these patients had secondary progressive MS. Thirty-nine percent of the patients reported difficulty in accessing rehabilitation services, and only 10 percent of the subjects were referred to medical rehabilitation units.
The authors also found higher reported rates of depression and poor quality of life.
"The rates of disability and symptom experience were similar to other studies; however, access and utilization of appropriate rehabilitation and support services appears to be lacking," the investigators wrote.
"Opportunities may possibly exist to re-deploy resources to develop vocational support, counselling and rehabilitation," they added.
Complete study findings can be found in an issue of the International Journal Rehabilitation Research.
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