Shifting to self-monitoring – healthy lifestyles in MS

There has never been a better time to encourage patients to self-monitor than right now.

With COVID-19 forcing the majority of MS clinics to take place via telephone or video link, and many people living with MS having reduced access to the professionals who usually support them, people’s general health is likely to go largely unmonitored. However, with lockdown across Britain, and in many parts of the globe, maintaining a good level of physical and mental health has become both challenging and absolutely essential.

Much of the national programme to ‘Raise the Bar for MS’ has slowed as we refocus efforts and resources in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. However, one workstream has become even more relevant, and that is the healthy lifestyle and wellbeing workstream.

We are launching a simple campaign to encourage a more holistic view of health and wellness for people with MS. There are two components – encouraging professionals to add elements like sleep hygiene, mental health, and general wellness into routine appointments, and encouraging people with MS to routinely monitor their own health across physical, mental and emotional elements, and to share what they record with their health professionals as appropriate.

There is a very brief survey to find out how much general health monitoring is done in routine clinics which, if you can find the time to complete it in the coming months, will give us a better idea of where our support can be most valuable.

Start survey

Find out more about the workstream, and to find resources to support your patients in self-monitoring, stress management, nutrition and other lifestyle areas here.

Thank you so much for taking part in this work. Together, we can raise the bar for MS.