Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40232635›Full record

ArticleQuality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation2025

Quality of life and access to treatment for patients with multiple sclerosis during economic crisis: the Lebanese experience.

Maya Zeineddine, Ghida Ismail, Malak Issa, Taghrid El-Hajj, Hassan Tfaily, Mohamad Dassouki, Elie Assaf, Halim Abboud, Pascale Salameh, Amal Al-Hajje and 2 more

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Article in Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

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2citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Maya Zeineddine *Inserm U1094, IRD U270, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, EpiMaCT - Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases in Tropical Zone, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, Omega Health, Limoges, France.
Ghida Ismail *School of Pharmacy, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.
Malak IssaSchool of Pharmacy, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.
Taghrid El-HajjRafik Hariri University Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon.
Hassan TfailyLabib Medical Center, Sidon, Lebanon.
Mohamad DassoukiLAU Medical Center-Rizk Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon.
Elie AssafHotel Dieu De France, Beirut, Lebanon.
Halim AbboudHotel Dieu De France, Beirut, Lebanon.
Pascale SalamehSchool of Pharmacy, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.
Amal Al-HajjeSchool of Pharmacy, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon. amal.alhajje@ul.edu.lb.
Farid BoumedieneInserm U1094, IRD U270, Univ. Limoges, CHU Limoges, EpiMaCT - Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases in Tropical Zone, Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology, Omega Health, Limoges, France.
Bassem YamoutHarley Street Medical Center, Neurology Institute, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that can lead to lifelong disability, significantly impacting patient's quality of life (QOL). The current Lebanese economic crisis led to limited accessibility to MS therapies and had a major impact on QOL.The aim of this study was to assess QOL in a cohort of Lebanese MS patients, and its association with socio-demographic factors, disease characteristics, and treatment accessibility.

methodsA cross-sectional, survey-based study was conducted between June and September 2022 in Lebanese patients with confirmed MS diagnosis as per the 2017 McDonald criteria. Structured questionnaires were used to obtain (1) socio-demographic and medical information, (2) QOL assessment using the MS International QOL questionnaire (MusiQoL), and (3) information related to barriers in accessing MS therapies. All questionnaires were administered via telephone call.

resultsA total of 350 MS patients were included in the study. Most participants (92.3%) were diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS and were females (65.1%) with a mean age of 39.4 ± 11.4 years. The mean MusiQol global index was 69.2 ± 11.5. In the multivariate analysis, younger age, higher level of education, being employed, being married, living outside the capital Beirut, and having no physical disability were significantly associated with higher MusiQol global index scores. A total of 216 Lebanese MS patients (61.7%) had no access to MS treatments due to the economic crisis. Treatment discontinuation and lack of governmental or private insurance were significant predictors of lower MusiQol scores.

conclusionThe economic crisis and resultant recession in Lebanon had a significantly negative impacted on QOL and treatment accessibility of MS patients. Socio-demographic factors, disease characteristics and treatment accessibility were strong predictors of QOL.

Indexed as

Economic RecessionHealth Services AccessibilityMultiple SclerosisQuality of LifeAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansLebanonMaleMiddle AgedSocioeconomic FactorsSurveys and QuestionnairesDisease-modifying therapiesLebanonMultiple sclerosisMusiQolQuality of life

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.