Effects of a Digital Care Pathway for Multiple Sclerosis: Observational Study.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Digital Health
• Patient Care Management

Background:

• Helsinki University Hospital developed a digital care pathway (DCP) to enhance care quality for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
• The DCP is specifically designed for newly diagnosed individuals to aid in adapting to a chronic condition.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate user behavior within the MS DCP.
• Assess the DCP's impact on healthcare utilization, patient-perceived health, and satisfaction.
• Evaluate patient education-mediated changes in health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Data collected from March 2020 to end of 2022, including user engagement metrics.
• Case-control study comparing DCP users (n=63) with non-users (n=112) over 1 year.
• Surveys assessed patient satisfaction (NPS) and functional health (MSIS) in a subgroup (n=36).

Main Results:

• 79.1% of eligible patients used the MS DCP, with high engagement within the first year.
• No significant differences in traditional healthcare visits (doctor, nurse, ED, inpatient days) between groups.
• The MS DCP correlated with a 2.05 visit increase in 'other services'.
• Psychological functional health improved significantly between 3 and 6 months.
• Patient satisfaction increased from NPS 21 to NPS 63 over 12 months.

Conclusions:

• The MS DCP is widely adopted as a supplementary tool for MS management, demonstrating high user satisfaction.
• The service positively impacted users' psychological well-being.
• Digital care pathways show significant potential for managing chronic diseases like MS.