Access to MS Care in Underserved and Diverse Populations: Marisa McGinley, DO

WATCH TIME: 5 minutes

“I think what we're starting to figure out is that the disparities in different communities and different groups likely happen for different reasons. I think that's where we're really trying to understand and disentangle what those barriers to access are.”

Access to care is not a new issue—patients are challenged by this daily, especially those that live in underserved and diverse populations. Although disparities cause barriers for patients in obtaining accessible care, consistent research over time has provided more knowledge on how to address this issue. Meetings such as the annual Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum, held February 23-25, 2023, in San Diego, California, allow clinicians to collaborate and gain more information on the current studies being done including ones discussing topics surrounding MS care for patients, which Marisa McGinley, DO, presented at the Forum.

In a recent interview with NeurologyLive®, McGinley sat down to discuss her focus in research with socioeconomically disadvantages that create a barrier in access to care for older patients with MS. She briefly talked about what knowledge has been gained in patient populations that face disparities and where she thinks the issues lie in preventing care access. In addition, she mentioned one of the studies she presented at the Forum that explored the proximity of MS centers around patients and the shortage of neurologists. To combat that, McGinley, a staff neurologist at the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research at Cleveland Clinic, discussed the ways clinicians are attempting to make up for the loss of potential care patients could be receiving.

Click here for more coverage of ACTRIMS 2023.