How MS research shapes treatment decisions

For people living with multiple sclerosis (MS), research-informed care means being treated by specialists who work closely with researchers investigating why MS develops, what may influence its progression, and how it responds to treatment. As an academic medical center, the teams at UI Health Care bring emerging knowledge into conversations with patients.

"One of the great benefits of practicing at UI Health Care is that we are surrounded by people who are pushing the limits of knowledge and helping us understand the basis of what we see in the diseases we treat," says Tracey Cho, MD, a UI Health Care neurologist who specializes in MS.

This research-informed perspective helps UI Health Care specialists evaluate a growing range of treatment options and determine which approach may be most appropriate for each patient. Today, patients with MS have more treatment options than ever before.

UI Health Care specialists generally aim to control MS as early and effectively as possible. Cho says emerging research suggests that more aggressive treatment early in the disease may help prevent progression later.

"First and foremost, we review the patient's goals and values," says Cho, who is a clinical professor and director of the neuroimmunology division in the UI Department of Neurology.

The care team considers the patient's symptoms, disease activity, MRI findings, other health conditions, family-planning needs, possible side effects, and preferred form of treatment.