Are information provision interventions effective for people with multiple sclerosis? A Cochrane Review summary with commentary

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the major causes of chronic neurologic disability in young adults. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of information provision interventions for people with MS that aim to promote informed choice and improve patient-relevant outcomes. METHODS: To summarize and to discuss the rehabilitation perspective on the published Cochrane Review "Information provision for people with multiple sclerosis" by Kopke S et al. RESULTS: 11 studies (with 1387 participants) with important clinical heterogeneity on the definitions of interventions and outcomes assessed were included, showing that information provision interventions vs optimized standard care probably slightly increase patients' knowledge and may make little or no difference to decision making and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: It is very important to provide information to patients for informed consent and to increase their knowledge and decision-making capacity.