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Adopting Consensus Guidelines for MRI in MS: Scott D. Newsome, DO; David Li, MD, FRCPC
Implementing new recommendations for the use of MRI in patients with MS will be a challenge in terms of education and adherence; Scott D. Newsome, DO, and David Li, MD, FRCPC, discuss the next steps to increase awareness for both patients and providers.
“When you come up with a standardized protocol, one of the first things people [ask] is, ‘Is it going to benefit me? Is it going to be faster? Will I be able to save time?’ And so, there’s a lot of education; we need to convince people that not only will this be good for them, in terms of how they’re reading the scans, but it’ll be good for their patients. But more importantly, it’s not going to cost them time.”
Consensus guidelines for the use of MRI in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) provide opportunities for unification in treatment practices, ultimately providing benefit to patients and providers alike. Scott D. Newsome, DO, president, CMSC, director, Neurosciences Consultation and Infusion Center at Green Spring Station, and associate professor of neurology, Johns Hopkins Medicine; and David Li, MD, FRCPC, professor of radiology, associate member in neurology, and director, Multiple Sclerosis/MRI Research Group, University of British Columbia, discussed some of the educational approaches that can be taken in the important processes of implementing standardization practices.
In conversation with NeurologyLive, Newsome and Li spoke on distributing information to providers who may not be able to attend conferences, as well as familiarizing patients with the guidelines as an invaluable aspect of their treatment. Focus on special populations, namely pediatrics and pregnant patients, is another crucial aspect of the consensus recommendations, according to experts, in providing specified care guidance.
The new protocols were published and developed by the Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis (MAGNIMS) study group; the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC); and the North America Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis (NAIMS) MRI Guidelines working group. Developed by experts in North America and Europe in response to technological advancements, new safety data, and numerous clinical updates, the guidelines establish a consensus for the use of MRI in patients with MS for the first time.
REFERENCE
Wattjes MP, Ciccarelli O, Reich DS, et al; 2021 MAGNIMS-CMSC-NAIMS consensus recommendations on the use of MRI in patients with multiple sclerosis. Lancet Neurol. Published online June 14, 2021. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(21)00095-8
