Measuring all the economic impacts of MS to aid resourcing

This project will build on Dr Campbell’s work in MS health economics to measure the broader economic impact of MS.

Dr Campbell’s work as part of the Health Economic Impact of MS in Australia report has estimated that the cost of MS to the Australian society was $2.5 billion in 2021. As disability for the person living with MS increases from no disability to severe disability, this cost increases by almost 300%. Additionally, the numbers of people being diagnosed with MS is rapidly accelerating – 30% in the past four years.

This project aims to measure the true economic cost and to also prevent these costs of increased disability by increasing resources for MS. To do this, the project will include five connected phases of research that will:

1. Measure the burden, costs, and quality of life for the informal carers and supporters of their person living with MS;
2. Measure the costs and quality of life impact in the years leading up to formal diagnosis of MS – also known as the MS prodrome;
3. Closely examine how access to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the value of NDIS packages for people living with MS and their families can be improved;
4. Create two specialised and free online courses (massive open online courses) to support carers and supporters of people living with MS, and to also provide information about the NDIS to improve knowledge and confidence for people with MS and their families and supporters;
5. Supplement a health economics digital model that is being created by the Menzies MS Research Flagship in partnership with MS Australia. The findings of this project will help with increased resourcing for MS; and
6. Include as much information about societal impacts as possible in clinical trials to aid increased resourcing.