Patient-centered education and care coordination initiative to improve self-management skills in Latinos with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, disabling neurological disease that attacks young adults. Similar to many other chronic conditions in patients with MS, self-management skills can improve the quality of patients’ lives. However, improvement of self-management skills remains a challenge in patients with chronic diseases, especially Latino patients with MS who struggle with language barriers and low health literacy. This quality initiative project involved the implementation of a new process for educating MS patients and coordinating their physical and occupational referrals in a privately owned neurology outpatient clinic in an urban city of Texas. A one-group, pre-test/post-test design guided the project. Baseline data were collected in the first week, followed by eight weeks of implementing changes. There was a statistically significant improvement in pre-education and post-education Multiple Sclerosis Self-Management Revised Scale (MSSM-R) scores. Post-intervention score (M = 94.7, SD = 3.6) was significantly higher than before intervention score (M = 80.7, SD = 7.7, t (7) =5.600, p =.001, d =1.97). This quality initiative project demonstrates that culturally sensitive, patient-centered education and care coordination can positively impact MS knowledge, communication, and self-management skills in Latinos with MS.