TiMS is delighted to announce the launch of two new tools to support health professionals who carry out MS annual reviews. Both the MS Annual Review Template and MS Annual Review - Guidance for Health Care Professionals tools are available via the TiMS webpage on the MS Trust website. They complement the TiMS Self-Reported Assessment which is also available via the webpage.
These resources were developed by the TiMS Working Group (25 specialist allied health professionals from around the UK who have many years of experience working with people with MS), with support from other professionals working in the MS field.
The NICE guidance Multiple sclerosis in adults: management, June 2022, recommends that everyone with MS has a comprehensive review of all aspects of their care by a health professional with expertise in MS at least once a year. The guidance also recommends which symptoms and other domains should be included as part of the review.
With MS professionals and services juggling different aspects of MS care and new professionals coming into the field, an MS review can be challenging to navigate; it can be difficult to ensure everything relevant is covered.
The MS Annual Review Template provides details of the domains that should be considered at each review. It has intentionally been kept simple, so it can easily be added to electronic patient records or other systems being used by MS health professionals.
The MS Annual Review - Guidance for Health Care Professionals, is a complementary tool which gives a lot more information on what should be considered under each domain heading, together with possible actions. Its aim is to serve as both a guide and learning tool for health professionals working with people with MS; if there is a domain area that they don’t have confidence in it will enable them to find what could/should be covered.
By ensuring all domains are comprehensively covered, individuals can be supported to live well with MS, with any problems identified and actioned in a timely way. As a result of which, complications can be minimised, and individuals can manage their MS proactively.
It is hoped these tools will support health professionals to get the most out of the review process alongside the people they see, whilst ensuring the NICE guidance is met.
The aim of TiMS’ is to improve the lives of people living with MS in the UK.
