Evaluation of remote assessments for multiple sclerosis in an in-home setting

• Published in: Multiple sclerosis and related disorders Vol. 54; p. 103125
• Main Authors: Kuri, Ashvin, Jacobs, Benjamin Meir, Leddy, Sara, Schmierer, Klaus, Turner, Benjamin, Allen-Philbey, Kimberley, Stennett, Andrea, Giovannoni, Gavin, Thomson, Alison, Dobson, Ruth
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.09.2021
• Subjects: Disability; Edss; Multiple sclerosis; Remote assessment; Disability; Multiple sclerosis; Remote assessment; Edss
• ISSN: 2211-0348; 2211-0356
• DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2021.103125

•Remote outcome measures are increasingly important in monitoring disability in people with MS.•There is a moderate positive correlation between web EDSS and timed 25 foot walk.•The correlation between web EDSS and 9 hole peg test is less strong, reflecting the complementary information gathered in the two assessments.•Objective remote testing has potential utility, with values obtained reflecting those seen in clinical practice. There is an urgent clinical need for reliable remote monitoring methods in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). We evaluated the use of remotely patient-recorded timed 25-foot walk (rT25FW) and nine-hole peg test (r9HPT). Seventy-one people with MS completed a previously-validated online EDSS (webEDSS) and r9HPT, and 108 completed the webEDSS and rT25FW. There was a mild-moderate positive correlation between webEDSS and rT25FW, and no significant correlation between webEDSS and r9HPT. Distributions of rT25FW and r9HPT times were positively skewed. Our results provide pilot evidence that remote monitoring of MS is potentially valid but requires refinement before wide-scale implementation. With a median EDSS of 4.5 and EDSS range of 0 – 8.0, at least some patients with ambulatory difficulty are able to complete the assessments.