Community Practice Connections™: Bridging the Gap in Multiple Sclerosis—A Focus on Clinical and Health Care Disparities in Racial-Ethnic Patient Populations

Target Audience
This educational activity is directed toward neurologists, MS subspecialists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses and other health care professionals involved in the management of patients with MS.

Program Overview
Disparities in health care disproportionally affect members of underserved or underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds, limiting access to care and health outcomes. The multiple sclerosis (MS) community is not immune to this challenge. Data indicates variation in the age of onset and disease course for MS patients having African American, Hispanic American, or Asian American ethnicity, which may be related to biological and/or socioeconomic factors. Reducing barriers to care and improving the cultural competency of healthcare professionals is needed to limit the impact of disparities, particularly for patients with MS belonging to these groups.

This Community Practice Connections™ program provides an in-depth review of some of the key highlights from the February 2022 Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum. This unique and engaging multimedia activity is ideal for the community-based clinician and focuses on the practical aspects of managing patients with MS from diverse backgrounds, putting recent clinical trial data into clinical context. The program is designed for those who did not attend the live meeting and to help reinforce learnings for those who did.

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

Evaluate the clinical presentation of MS in racial-ethnic populations
Analyze the most current data regarding optimal management of MS in racial-ethnic populations
Integrate elements of cultural competency for optimal management of racial-ethnic populations with MS
Describe the effect of COVID-19 on healthcare disparities and worsening patient outcomes in racial-ethnic populations with MS