Multiple The 15th Annual Johns Hopkins Sclerosis Symposium Series

Program Overview

Although there is no medication that can fully prevent or reverse the neurologic deterioration associated with multiple sclerosis (MS), the use of disease-modifying therapy (DMT) is widely recommended to favorably impact prognosis and reduce disability. The number of DMTs now approved by the US Food and Drug Administration has grown substantially, resulting in more options for patients, but also increasing the complexity of starting, stopping, and switching treatments for healthcare providers (HCPs), who must consider the different modes of administration (injectable, oral, or intravenous), pharmacologic profiles, and benefit-risk profiles, in the context of individual- and disease-specific factors. Thus, although it is encouraging to have many options that have been shown to reduce the frequency and severity of relapses, to limit the development of new lesion activity, and to delay the progression of disability, many clinicians struggle to find the time and skills needed to appraise the large body of available safety and efficacy data for these DMTs and to translate that information into optimal treatment choices for their patients. Furthermore, suboptimal management of the whole patient (ie, focusing on the symptoms or relapses while ignoring other impacts and burdens on the patient), and the lack of shared decision-making may result in the selection of a treatment approach that is out of sync with an individual’s values, preferences, and therapy goals.

Management of MS as a chronic, multifaceted disease requires multidisciplinary care from a collaborative team of specialty and primary care HCPs. This opportunity seeks to facilitate this team-based care by providing education in a format that addresses both the unique and common educational needs of specialty and primary care HCPs, provides a forum in which to share the latest evidence-based information, and explores best practices for MS care in a primary care setting, specialty setting, and collaborative setting.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

Facilitate strategies that support the early recognition and treatment of multiple sclerosis
Assess clinical trial and real-world efficacy and safety data for DMTs recently approved for relapsing and progressive forms of MS 
Propose effective shared decision making and collaborative care strategies to optimize MS management plans