focus area: Better treatments
funding type: Incubator
project type: Investigator Led Research
While medical treatment is key for improving the health of people with MS, social needs also play an important role in health. Presently, there is little focus in MS care on understanding an individual’s circumstances, such as exposure to domestic violence, employment opportunities, and access to safe housing, food security, exercise facilities and affordable healthcare. Screening tools for social needs have been used in other clinical settings (e.g. cardiovascular disease), with proven benefits to the health of individuals. These screening tools may identify needs that can then be addressed by linking individuals to allied health or social services.
Ms Isabelle Weld-Blundell and her team will review the screening tools currently available to assess a range of social needs that impact the health of people living with MS in a hospital or clinic setting. They will do this through a scoping review of scientific and non-scientific literature. After identifying existing tools, they will assess how comprehensive, valid and actionable each is using existing frameworks. Through meetings with people living with MS, carers and clinicians, they will also explore how relevant the existing tools are to MS care in Australia and how they could be adapted for use in MS care in Australia. This is the first crucial step to address this gap in MS care.
Addressing social needs has the potential to reduce preventable and unfair differences in health outcomes.
Ms Isabelle Weld-Blundell and her team conducted two studies to explore how social needs are assessed in healthcare settings in Australia and New Zealand.
The first reviewed existing tools used in healthcare to check for social needs. They found five tools, but all had limitations. While these tools often asked about important factors like housing and employment, they weren’t always comprehensive. Importantly, none of them provided clear next steps for addressing the needs they identified.
The second study explored current practice in MS care in Australia by speaking with healthcare professionals and people living with MS. It found there is no consistent way of checking for social needs. Whether these topics are discussed at all, often depends on the individual clinician or situation. Lack of time and limited resources were common barriers, while good relationships between patients and clinicians helped make these conversations more likely.
Overall, the study highlighted that while there is growing recognition of the importance of social needs in healthcare, in MS care there is currently not enough focus on this. The research suggests that a well-designed screening tool, coupled with clear pathways for getting help, could be a valuable step forward. This could lead to more comprehensive care that addresses not just the medical aspects of health, but the social factors that significantly impact people with MS and their wellbeing.
Updated 31 March 2026
$24,813
2024
2 year
Past project
