Effective Comprehensive Care Team Communication in MS: Patricia Bobryk, MHS, PT, MSCS, ATP

WATCH TIME: 4 minutes

“It can be very overwhelming, particularly for the newly diagnosed, with all of this information coming in. If you can convey to the patient that you have this team of people, particularly the core team of people…that is going to provide care, be your advocate, and provide the resources and education for you—there is great comfort in that.”

As has been the trend across medicine in recent years, many practices have begun to implement a more comprehensive approach to patient care. For those with multiple sclerosis (MS), this model of care allows for a more holistic treatment regimen that is able to address the needs of the patient with regard to treatment and disease management.

One common member of this care team model is a physical therapist or rehabilitation specialist, such as Patricia Bobryk, MHS, PT, MSCS, ATP. A physical therapist at UC Health and the cochair of the International Organization of MS Rehabilitation Therapists (IOMSRT), Bobryk explained that incorporating this approach to MS care provides a more all-encompassing model that can address not only clinical disease progression, but symptomatic issues and other “invisible” consequences of the disease. This approach, she noted, particularly blends with the increased voice of the patient in the shared decision-making process.

In a conversation with NeurologyLive, Bobyrk offered her expertise in the care of this patient population, expressing the importance of consistent messaging for patient education among the individual team members as well as the need for the incorporation of key members early in the disease process.