Top Interviews from 2023 ACTRIMS: Expert Insights on Multiple Sclerosis

Author(s):

A group of experts in the care of patients with multiple sclerosis—Marisa McGinley, DO; Farrah Mateen, MD, PhD; Laura Piccio, MD, PhD; Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD; and Bruce Cree, MD, PhD, MAS, FAAN—shared their perspectives on hot topics of treatment and management from the 2023 ACTRIMS Forum.

In recent months, the NeurologyLive^® staff has spoken to a variety of experts in the clinical care and management of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), including those with relapsing-remitting MS and other related autoimmune disorders such as neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD).

To recap the 2023 Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum, February 23-25, in San Diego, California, NeurologyLive^® compiled a number of interviews with experts from the Forum to offer an overview of the state of care and discussions on the hottest topics in MS. Those featured include:

Marisa McGinley, DO, staff neurologist at the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research at Cleveland Clinic
Farrah Mateen, MD, PhD, associate professor at Harvard Medical School and associate director of the Multiple Sclerosis & Neuromyelitis Optica Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital
Laura Piccio, MD, PhD, a neurologist and physician scientist at Washington University in St. Louis
Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD, director of the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center
Bruce Cree, MD, PhD, MAS, FAAN, clinical research director of the UCSF Multiple Sclerosis Center

Click here for more coverage of the ACTRIMS 2023.

Click through the slides below to check out each expert interview:

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Access to MS Care in Underserved and Diverse Populations

WATCH TIME: 5 minutes

Access to care is not a new issue—patients are challenged by this daily, especially those that live in underserved and diverse populations. Although disparities cause barriers for patients in obtaining accessible care, consistent research over time has provided more knowledge on how to address this issue. Meetings such as the annual Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum, held February 23-25, 2023, in San Diego, California, allow clinicians to collaborate and gain more information on the current research conducted on topics surrounding disparities in MS care for patients, which Marisa McGinley, DO, presented at the Forum.

In a recent interview with NeurologyLive®, McGinley sat down to discuss her focus in research with socioeconomically disadvantages that create a barrier in access to care for older patients with MS. She briefly talked about what knowledge has been gained in patient populations that face disparities and where she thinks the issues lie in preventing care access. In addition, she mentioned one of the studies she presented at the Forum that explored the proximity of MS centers around patients and the shortage of neurologists. To combat that, McGinley, a staff neurologist at the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research at Cleveland Clinic, discussed the ways clinicians are attempting to make up for the loss of potential care patients could be receiving.