EQUITY-MS
This project aims to help to make sure that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) receive equitable care in terms of access to a diagnosis and disease modifying treatment, regardless of where they live and what their ethnic background is.
We’re planning to investigate whether there are differences related to sociodemographic factors in (a) how long it takes people to obtain a diagnosis, (b) how long people wait to receive treatment once diagnosed/ whether they receive treatment at all, and (c) the type of treatment received.
This project is led by Prof. Helen Ford (Leeds General Infirmary/University of Leeds) and the analysis will be conducted by researchers at Bradford Institute for Health Research, part of the Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The University of Leeds is the study sponsor.
We plan to analyse data from clinical records for MS patients who were newly diagnosed with MS at one of our 5 centres (Leeds, Bradford, Cardiff, Manchester, and East London) between 2018 and 2024 while protecting their privacy. A separate strand of the research study will use data from Clinical Practice Research Datalink (https://www.cprd.com/) to answer related questions using national primary care data.
We will use information like patients’ date of birth, sex, ethnicity, date of symptom onset, date of diagnosis, date of receiving treatment, and type of treatment received. Identifiable information like names and addresses will stay within the hospitals where the patient was diagnosed. Only de-identified data will be used in this research and will be shared with the research team. We will also let people with MS choose not to participate in the project if they don’t want to.
The results of the processing of this de-identified, archival data will not have any impact on the current care of patients, but we hope that if our findings identify delays or service gaps, we can make changes in the future to ensure that more patients receive timely care.
Information about the study results will be posted here as they become available. Please contact Liz O’Nions for more information: liz.onions@bthft.nhs.uk or 01274 383941.
