Multiple Sclerosis Association of America Launches New Patient Support Website

One of the country’s leading non-profit multiple sclerosis organizations, the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA), has just launched a new patient support website called, My MS Journey. It is a comprehensive online resource designed to answer the specific and varied needs of MS patients, whether they have just received their diagnosis, or they have already spent a considerable amount of time coping with the disease and are looking for more ways to improve their lives. MSAA is being supported by pharmaceutical companies Teva Neuroscience and Opus Neuroscience, who are helping make the new website possible. My MS Journey hosts a vast amount of information on the disease. Online content is organized into 3 main sections:

• Just Starting Out – answers salient and common questions of newly diagnosed patients, and provides references to other useful online resources that can effectively explain the nature of MS, symptoms, and available treatment options
• Staying On Course – aimed at patients searching for solutions to the daily challenges of MS such as, self-management of symptoms, employment, and wellness
• The Seasoned Traveler – offers support for mobility issues, declining independence, need for a caregiver, as well as information on Medicare and health insurance

If you have MS, or know someone with MS who may need help, MSAA’s new online resource can be accessed through www.mymsaa.org/journey. For questions about the association’s available services and support programs, contact community relations coordinator Sarah Masino through (800) 532-7667, ext. 122 or via email at [email protected]. This website adds to MSAA’s extensive portfolio of support services for patients with MS. The association provides a Helpline that gives patients easy and timely access to trained MS specialists for any of their queries; internationally-recognized publications; the S.E.A.R.C.H.™ program which connects patients with available treatment options; My MS Manager™, named one of the best mobile phone apps for MS self-management; My MS Resource Locator®, a database of MS resources; fundraising as well as educational events; and equipment for mobility and heat-sensitivity.

One of the concerns MS patients face in the work place are unfair assessments for medical benefits. According to a recent report, more than a third of patients suffering from progressive diseases such as MS, Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. are subjected to a Work Capability Assessment to determine how much Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) they are entitled to. Those deemed fit to work tend to receive less than those evaluated as too sick to work.

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