Impact of a Nurse Care Coordinator on Time to Treatment in a Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Clinic, a Retrospective Study.

Abstract

Early treatment improves long-term outcomes for persons living with multiple sclerosis (MS). Patients with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) experience delays in diagnosis and treatment with disease-modifying therapy (DMT). Here, we explore how a dedicated nurse care coordinator decreases time to treatment in POMS.We included a retrospective cohort of 60 POMS at a single center between 2018 and 2024. The primary outcome was time to DMT initiation. Secondary outcomes included relapse rates and Extended Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores.In 60 participants, 39 were in the precoordinator group and 21 were in the postcoordinator group. Age, race, ethnicity, insurance, and the area deprivation index did not affect outcomes. However, the postcoordinator group had a shorter time from diagnosis to initiation of DMT (median: 49 days, interquartile range [IQR]: 40-57 days) compared to the precoordinator group (median: 126 days, IQR: 57-254 days, p < 0.001).Here, we found that a care coordinator decreased time to DMT initiation and should be implemented in clinical care.Having a dedicated nurse coordinator to help patients with MS with obtaining their treatments, including their DMTs, can result in a shorter time to starting a DMT.