Can Do MS Launches ‘MS Path 2 Care’ to Help Patients Be Equal Partners in Care

Can Do MS has launched an MS Path 2 Care initiative that aims to help people affected by MS  be more active partners in their healthcare experience.

A national non-profit organization based in Avon, Colorado, Can Do MS delivers health and wellness education programs focused on exercise, nutrition, symptom management, and motivation for families living with MS.

MS Path 2 Care, developed with Sanofi Genzyme and the Society for Participatory Medicine, focuses on the importance of shared decision-making between patients, their care partners, and healthcare teams. The goal is to encourage strong and collaborative relationships with all those involved in MS care.

“At Can Do MS, we believe that it is critical for people with MS to be proactive and engaged in managing their own care. That is why we are so excited by the launch of MS Path 2 Care, which provides information and tools that can help address a wide range of challenges from MS,” Anne Gilbert, Can Do MS’ director of programs, said in a press release.

The initiative brings together experts across the MS community, including patients, healthcare providers and national advocacy groups.

Its website features four educational modules, each with insights and stories from people touched by MS.

The modules — Understanding Your Healthcare Team, Partnering with Your Healthcare Team, Navigating the Healthcare System and Strengthening Your Support Partnership — are designed to highlight the importance of having a broad healthcare team, to help build a trusting partnership with that team, to explore resources that can help with MS management and its impact on finances, relationships, etc., and to provide an overview of the impact MS can have at a physical, cognitive, and emotional level.

“The patient and the healthcare provider are both experts in MS; they are partners in care. The provider is an expert in the science, and the patient lives with the disease every day,” said Stephanie Buxhoeveden, MSCN, a program participant. “Having been on both sides of the conversation, I know that each has a unique and complementary perspective.”

She called MS Path 2 Care a “valuable” resource in providing “MS patients with the tools they need to start a constructive dialogue with their healthcare providers.”

The timing of the announcement also marks MS Awareness Month.

Since 2003, National MS Education and Awareness Month is observed in March of each year to raise awareness for MS and to promote an understanding of the scope of the disease, as well as to assist those with MS in making educated decisions about their healthcare.

For more information about the educational modules and other helpful resources, please visit MSPath2Care.com.

Sanofi Genzyme is the maker of Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) and Aubagio (teriflunomide), approved treatments for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.