title: Multiple Sclerosis State of the Art (SMART): A Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Therapy's Adherence, Hospital Reliability's Perception, and Services Provided Quality.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the adherence to therapy in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RR-MS) and to analyze the possible influence of factors such as hospital care and patients socioeconomic status. Two hundred eighty-five patients with RR-MS according to Mc Donald's criteria and naïve disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) naïve were enrolled. Two self-administered questionnaires addressing the management of patients at therapy prescription and the personal perception of the daily life changes caused by DMDs were administered at months 3 and 12. Full adherence, considered as correct use of the therapy prescribed, was observed in a very high percentage of subjects (97.3% and 93.9% at 3 and 12 months). The main cause for reduced adherence was single dose forgetfulness, followed by anxiety, pain at the injection site, and tiredness of "doing all injections." Nurses and neurologists of MS Center were identified as the major resource in coping with the disease at 3 and 12 months by patients. The neurologist was the health professional involved in MS management in 95% of cases and the nurse appeared to play a central role in patient training and drug administration management (50.3%).
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Sense Organs, A.C.O San Filippo Neri, Via G. Martinotti 20, 00135 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Battista
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurobiology Unit, Regional Referring Multiple Sclerosis Centre (CReSM), University Hospital San Luigi Gonzaga, Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertolotto
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, A.O. San Camillo Forlanini Hospital, Circonvallazione Gianicolense 87, 00152 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gasperini
authors.affiliation: Multiple Sclerosis Study Centre, Gallarate Hospital, Via Pastori 4, 21013 Gallarate, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghezzi
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, A.O. Garibaldi Nesima, Piazza Santa Maria Del Gesù 5, 95122 Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maimone
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, Department Head and Neck, ASL3 Genovese, Via D. Oliva 22, 16154 Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Solaro