Black, African Americans With MS Face Disparities in Access to Specialty Care

Black and African American individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) face various challenges and barriers to receiving quality health care, which significantly impact health outcomes in this patient population, according to study results presented at the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum 2023, held in San Diego, California, from February 23 to 25.

Although many publications suggest that the incidence of MS is low among Black Americans, others indicate that MS incidence rates may actually be higher in this patient population compared with White Americans. However, barriers related to socioeconomic status, educational level, and health literacy impact the ability of many Black Americans with MS to discern if they are receiving appropriate health care, especially from specialists.

According to previous research, Black Americans with MS experience a more rapid progression of the disease as evidenced by brain and retinal scans. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans show that atrophy of the whole brain and specifically of gray and white matter progress 2 times as fast in Black Americans vs White Americans.

To improve understanding as to why rates of MS progression are so different between racial groups, the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) in the United States formed the African American MS Advisory Board with the intent to gather relevant information on the challenges faced by the Black MS community in getting an accurate MS diagnosis and prompt, effective treatment.

The African American MS Advisory Board conducted 2 virtual meetings that enabled moderated discussions with Black and African American individuals living with MS. Topics of discussion included an evaluation of program initiatives to address unmet needs in the community, the need for research related to MS that accurately represents the Black and African American community, and the impact that various social, cultural, psychological, and structural barriers to specialist care have on MS-related health outcomes.

At these virtual sessions, patients, care partners, and health care providers all acknowledged the existence of racial and ethnic disparities specific to the Black and African American MS community.

Additionally, the attendees provided insights reflective of how such disparities impact the lived experience of MS in the Black and African American community. These insights allowed the Advisory Board to devise more tailored solutions to address the racial and ethnic disparities in this community pertaining specifically to MS.

“Data from this comprehensive initiative will drive the materials and information for a set of multifaceted interventions to improve the knowledge, competence, and/or performance of MS clinicians that are currently, or, have the potential to treat Black MS patients,” the MSAA Advisory Board said. “The anticipated result is to better identify and detect early signs of disease progression and timely therapeutic intervention [for Black and African American individuals with MS].”