How do patients enter the healthcare system after the first onset of multiple sclerosis symptoms? The influence of setting and physician specialty on speed of diagnosis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Diagnosing multiple sclerosis (MS) early is crucial to avoid future disability. However, potentially preventable delays in the diagnostic cascade from contact with a physician to definite diagnosis still occur and their causes are still unclear.

Objective

To identify the possible causes of delays in the diagnostic process.

Methods

We analyzed the data of the Swiss MS Registry. With logistic regression, we modeled the time from the first contact to the first consultation (contact-to-evaluation time, ⩽1 month/>1 month) and the evaluation-to-diagnosis time (⩽6 months/>6 months). Potential factors were health system characteristics, sociodemographic variables, first symptoms, and MS type.

Results

We included 522 participants. Mostly, general practitioner

SUBMITTER: Barin L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7140343 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature