Urgent action needed on multiple sclerosis diagnosis

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jun/03/urgent-action-needed-on-multiple-sclerosis-diagnosis

Version 0 of 1.

Regarding your article (Extent of misdiagnosis of MS sufferers revealed, 27 May), I was awarded my PhD from Salford in 2012 on this topic, for which I interviewed women who already had a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. There had been a waiting period of six to 27 years before a diagnosis of MS was confirmed. Prior to that there had been misdiagnosis of MS for anxiety and depression. I identified that GP consultations were one of the gatekeepers to the hospital referral. This affected medical support being sought to lessen the effects of MS. The limited awareness of MS symptoms is still potentially affecting the health of people living with MS. The earlier the diagnosis of MS, and the potential for treatment plans, the better the quality of the lives of people with MS. Furthermore, how the definition of MS is applied in practice by specialists in the area of MS needs attention. There needs to be an audit tool of MS symptoms which can be provided to GP surgeries to share knowledge on the varying symptomatic nature of MS. This would assist in earlier referrals to the hospital for further tests and a quicker diagnosis of MS. Current research trajectories on MS could also be widened to include the opinions and experiences of people with MS. This way, people may appear more credible when reporting their health experiences in a medical situation.Dr Louise DawsonGlaslough, County Monaghan, Ireland