Foreign-born Individuals’ Profile and Access to Care in Multiple Sclerosis – Evidence from the Italian Registry of Multiple Sclerosis (IMPACT-MS study)
SYNOPSIS AND RESULTS
In recent years, Italy has seen a significant increase in its foreign-born population, with over 874,000 people arriving between 2023 and 2024 alone, and more than 5.4 million currently residing in the country. Many come from regions affected by conflict, such as Ukraine and the Middle East, potentially bringing new challenges to the Italian healthcare system. Multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic neurodegenerative disease requiring continuous multidisciplinary care, is increasing in prevalence even in non-Western regions such as the Middle East and North Africa. Despite this, little is known about how foreign-born individuals with MS (pwMS) access care in Italy, or how their clinical and social profiles differ from native-born patients. This study aims to address this gap through a large-scale, retrospective analysis using data from the Italian MS and Related Disorders Register (RISM), which includes standardized clinical and sociodemographic data collected from MS centers nationwide. Primary objectives: To describe the sociodemographic and clinical profiles of foreign-born pwMS living in Italy. To examine how the number of foreign-born pwMS in RISM has evolved over time and whether this aligns with national migration trends (ISTAT data). To explore intra-group heterogeneity within the foreign-born pwMS population using cluster analysis based on country of birth, clinical and sociodemographic variables. To investigate geographic distribution patterns across Italian regions and the distance between patient residence and MS centers.
Secondary objectives: To compare foreign-born and Italian-born pwMS in terms of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, a 1:1 matching by age (±1 year) and gender will be performed to ensure comparability between groups. To assess the impact of socioeconomic status using a census-based deprivation index (DI), linked to the patient's municipality of residence. To analyze potential disparities in disease progression, access to care, and treatment across groups.
Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla – FISM – Ente del Terzo Settore/ETS e, in forma abbreviata, FISM ETS. Iscrizione al RUNTS Rep. N° 89695 - Fondazione con Riconoscimento di Personalità Giuridica - C.F. 95051730109
Foreign-born Individuals’ Profile and Access to Care in Multiple Sclerosis – Evidence from the Italian Registry of Multiple Sclerosis (IMPACT-MS study)
In recent years, Italy has seen a significant increase in its foreign-born population, with over 874,000 people arriving between 2023 and 2024 alone, and more than 5.4 million currently residing in the country. Many come from regions affected by conflict, such as Ukraine and the Middle East, potentially bringing new challenges to the Italian healthcare system. Multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic neurodegenerative disease requiring continuous multidisciplinary care, is increasing in prevalence even in non-Western regions such as the Middle East and North Africa. Despite this, little is known about how foreign-born individuals with MS (pwMS) access care in Italy, or how their clinical and social profiles differ from native-born patients.
This study aims to address this gap through a large-scale, retrospective analysis using data from the Italian MS and Related Disorders Register (RISM), which includes standardized clinical and sociodemographic data collected from MS centers nationwide.
Primary objectives:
To describe the sociodemographic and clinical profiles of foreign-born pwMS living in Italy.
To examine how the number of foreign-born pwMS in RISM has evolved over time and whether this aligns with national migration trends (ISTAT data).
To explore intra-group heterogeneity within the foreign-born pwMS population using cluster analysis based on country of birth, clinical and sociodemographic variables.
To investigate geographic distribution patterns across Italian regions and the distance between patient residence and MS centers.
Secondary objectives:
To compare foreign-born and Italian-born pwMS in terms of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, a 1:1 matching by age (±1 year) and gender will be performed to ensure comparability between groups.
To assess the impact of socioeconomic status using a census-based deprivation index (DI), linked to the patient's municipality of residence.
To analyze potential disparities in disease progression, access to care, and treatment across groups.
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