Modernizing Multiple Sclerosis Care With Digital Tools and Holistic Clinical Approaches: Agne Straukiene, MD

WATCH TIME: 5 minutes

“It means time is brain. Brain health is preserved because we are starting highly active disease-modifying therapy to preserve the brain health, to preserve the brain volume, and to give people life.”

Innovations may be essential in clinical practice to better serve patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), especially by potentially helping to reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment. A recently published study in Multiple Sclerosis Journal – Experimental, Translational and Clinical assessed real-world impact of digital technologies and holistic care strategies for patients with MS implemented at a UK center. In the study, researchers included personal health records and educational apps for patients with MS, clinical databases and disease progression tools for health care providers, and the introduction of a Healthy Lifestyle Clinic aimed at promoting brain health.¹

Led by Agne Straukiene, MD, the study compared patient outcomes before and after implementing these interventions between 2018 and 2023. Overall, findings revealed a significant reduction in the time from diagnosis to starting disease-modifying therapy, dropping from about 24 months to under 6 months. Unsurprisingly, researchers observed that patients with delayed diagnoses were more likely to experience disease progression. Additionally, nonelective hospital admissions and healthcare costs decreased compared with nearby hospitals. Altogether, these results suggest that combining digital tools with holistic care approaches can improve MS care delivery, though authors noted that further research may be needed to confirm these trends.

In a recent interview NeurologyLive^®, Straukiene, a consultant neurologist at Torbay and Southern Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, described how the integration of digital tools could transform MS care delivery, based on findings from the study. She explained how these innovations could support earlier detection of disease progression and greater patient engagement. In addition, Straukiene talked about how the Healthy Lifestyle Clinic, which offers a patient-centered, group-based setting that focuses on diet, exercise, emotional well-being, and social support, can possibly promote timely clinical decisions and also improve health outcomes for people living with MS.

REFERENCES
1. Straukiene A, Hughes S, Grundy J, Moxon F. Evaluating patient care in multiple sclerosis: Impact of combined digital tools and holistic management strategies. Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. 2025;11(2):20552173251317020. Published 2025 Apr 15. doi:10.1177/20552173251317020