Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) – It is becoming easier for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) to get information about the disease after diagnosis. The Hesse state association of the German Multiple Sclerosis Society (DMSG), Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) and four hospitals in the Rhine-Main area are working together on this.
According to the DMSG, around 1,200 people in Hesse are newly diagnosed with this inflammatory disease of the central nervous system every year. “For most people, the diagnosis of MS is initially a shock that brings with it a great psychological stress situation,” said Barbara Voss, head of the TK state representation in Hesse. For those affected, the diagnosis raises questions to which they do not always get an immediate answer in the healthcare system.
The project aims to close this gap by having the DMSG self-help advice centers located directly in or at the local clinics. So far, the DKD Helios Clinic in Wiesbaden, the Northwest Hospital and the University Clinic in Frankfurt and the Sana Clinic in Offenbach have been involved. Further cooperations are planned. “Such an independent counseling and care project for people with MS is so far unique in Germany,” said TK, which promotes self-help projects and provides financial support for the new DMSG offer.
