legislature 2014

The Multiple Sclerosis Patient Survey has been announced by the Provincial Government, seeking options for MS research and care.

"We'd like to get as much information from the public as possible, as this information will help inform the decisions made by the MS Panel in their recommendations to the Ministry of Health," said David Scheurwater, Project Manager in Acute and Emergency Services with the Health Ministry. "In the past, the government was supporting the clinical trial in Albany, New York, but unfortunately we couldn't get enough participation from the US side, so the researcher had to close that trial, but we think this is a great opportunity to now ask the public what they thought was important, not only within research, but within MS support and education throughout the province."

Scheurwater adds the ministry hopes to hear from MS patients, their caregivers, and health care providers to weigh in on possible health service improvements and research that would benefit those living with MS.

"There's a wide range of different supports, education, clinical trials and research that are out there, but more than anything, the Ministry of Health is just looking forward to reviewing the panel's recommendations to us,"  he said. "We're pretty open-minded to what they put forward, we just like to see what the best possible options are for the people of the province."

The survey will be open until December 31st, 2014, and is available online at the Ministry of Health's website, or by calling the MS Society at 1-800-268-7582.

The MS Advisory Panel, which was launched by the government in July, includes members representing MS patients and family members, researchers, specialists and representatives from health organizations and the MS Society.

About 3700 people in Saskatchewan suffer from MS, and the province has the highest prevalence of the disease in Canada.