| Popis: |
This study was conducted to determine how people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who receive care from a comprehensive care center (CCC) fare in terms of access to care, satisfaction, and perceptions of quality compared to people who are not treated at one of these centers. With data from the North American Research Committee on MS (NARCOMS) Patient Registry as the sampling frame, we administered a mixed-mode survey to 2300 people with MS to gather information about their experiences in accessing health services. A response rate of 63% was obtained, for a total of 1403 respondents. About half of the respondents indicated that they sometimes or always received care from an MS CCC. Although no differences were noted in terms of disease severity and diagnostic history, findings indicated that people treated at MS CCCs had better access to health care services and perceived their health care experiences more positively than those who never received MS care from a CCC. Even though the results provide evidence that CCCs enhanced access to care, further research is necessary to understand which organizational elements (eg, service integration services, staff training) contributed most strongly to these experiences. |
