Finalist
MSBrainHealth: Promoting Lifelong Brain Health for all People with MS
Summary of work
MSBrainHealth – a widely endorsed, global policy initiative from the not-for-profit company OxfordHealthPolicyForum – has a vision to create a better future for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their families. MSBrainHealth was the brainchild of Professor Gavin Giovannoni, turned into reality by Oxford PharmaGenesis.
We aimed to establish an initiative to call for major policy changes to maximize the lifelong brain health of people with MS and support the care pathway. We also sought to demonstrate the impact of the initiative, to inspire others and promote its global growth.
We developed a novel, globally applicable, digital quality improvement tool, based on the MSBrainHealth standards, to support MS centres achieve the benchmarks. A global pilot study of the tool showed that it can promote changes to clinical services.
A 2020 survey and reports from local champions illustrate how MSBrainHealth has changed the global MS landscape, including promoting clinical practice changes in 16 countries. Through local action, our champions have affected local health policy, increasing the momentum of the global initiative. MSBrainHealth has helped equip people with MS and their carers to live a better life with the disease.
MSBrainHealth continues to be a catalyst for improvements in MS care globally.
Judges’ comments
This entry offered interesting insights into the need for better communication between MS patients and healthcare practitioners (HCPs). The communication tool provided a concise and well considered actionable plan for patients, HCPs, families and care-givers. The outcomes were measurable, which impacted on patient care and this cascaded from a broader public health message. A strong programme with great purpose and impressive results.
