Determining the Need for Palliative Care Patients with Multiple Sclerosis-A Cross-Sectional Study

Multiple sclerosis is characterised by the manifestation of heterogeneous symptoms that affect daily functioning. Patients face physical impairment, psychological problems and socioeconomic changes. Depending on the form of the disease, they may have different needs, which are often unsatisfied and could be overcome by including palliative care in the treatment. Despite the above, not enough is known about this population's needs for palliative care. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the need for palliative care and assess the functional dependence level in daily living activities in patients with multiple sclerosis.

The sample consisted of 120 patients from the Neurology Clinic of the University Clinical Center of Vojvodina, Serbia. The following research instruments were used: a General questionnaire, Sheffield Profile for Assessment and Referral for Care, Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale and Barthel Index.

The need for palliative care was expressed by 36.7% of patients, who expressed the most concern for the physical symptoms, independence and activity domains. Also, it was determined that the disease prevents patients from doing demanding physical tasks and that they are worried about multiple sclerosis. Almost a quarter of patients have had complete/severe dependence on other persons in performing daily activities.

The most frequently reported physical symptoms by patients with MS were weakness, bladder problems, fatigue and different levels of dependence, while concerns related to sexual health, low mood and anxiety emerged as key challenges in the psychological domain. These findings underscore the importance of conducting needs assessments to guide the development of an appropriate palliative care model for MS patients.