Multiple Sclerosis-Collaborative Approach to Rehabilitation Effectiveness Study

Background: It is common for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) to have depression and chronic pain. Individuals with MS who have depression and/or pain often use more health care services, benefit less from treatment, and have poorer quality of life. While evidence-based medical and behavioral treatments for depression and pain exist, they are often not offered or accessible to persons with MS. As a result, chronic pain and depression are under-treated in people with MS. One way to better treat these problems is through a "Collaborative Care" approach. In this approach a care manager (nurse supervised by expert physicians, psychiatrists, and psychologists) helps coordinate and provide high-quality, evidence-based treatments for depression and pain. The care manager also makes sure that the care is focused on the patient's goals and preferences. The care is provided by phone or in person based on the patient's preference. Although this approach has been used successfully with patients with many different conditions, it has never been tested in patients with MS, pain, and depression. Objectives: The investigators' objectives are to (1) test the benefits of the patient-centered collaborative care treatment approach for persons with MS who also have depression and/or pain; and also (2) test whether this approach improves quality of life, patient satisfaction, adherence to other treatments, and quality of care in the MS care system. Methods: Participants were 195 outpatients with MS from a specialty MS Center who had depression and/or chronic pain. Half of the participants received the treatment that was typical for patients in the MS Center ("usual care"), while the other half received treatment using the Collaborative Care approach. Participants in the collaborative care group met regularly in-person or by telephone with a social worker who coordinated their depression and pain treatments and provided strategies for better managing their symptoms. The treatment phase of the study lasted for 16 weeks and began within 2 weeks of study enrollment. Participants completed telephone interviews within 2 weeks of enrollment, approximately 4 months after study enrollment, and approximately 10 months after study enrollment. During these interviews participants were asked questions about their pain, depression, satisfaction with care, and quality of life to compare the two care approaches. Projected Patient Outcomes: The investigators anticipate that those in the collaborative care approach will have better controlled pain and depression and better quality of life, satisfaction with care, adherence to other MS treatments, and quality of care compared to those in the usual care approach. The results of this study may help patients, clinicians, healthcare system leaders, and policy makers make decisions about the benefits of this type of coordinated care approach for depression and pain in MS care.