How Saudi patients with multiple sclerosis evaluate their Health-Related Quality of Life using Euro-Questionnaire- 5 Dimensions (EQ-5D)

Background and aims: Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease that might cause life- long disability and affect the patient's quality of life (QoL). There is an acknowledged lack of information about health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Saudi patients with MS. this study aimed to assess how MS Saudi patients rate their QoL and the factors that affect the patient's perception of HRQoL. Methods: A cross sectional study including 422 Saudi patients with MS was conducted. An EQ-5D questionnaire was used. Basic demographic and descriptive MS data were collected. SPSS package was used for statistical analysis of the resulting dataset. Results: MS patients are either respondents with low or high health states. The characteristics of high health states were: better health profiles especially with mobility and self-care, younger females with higher health indices, shorter disease durations and relapsing-remitting type. Conversely, the respondents with low health states were: poorer health profiles, older male patients, longer disease duration and progressive type. Conclusion: Our findings can be used to enhance the QoL of people with MS in KSA, facilitating physician-patient communication, promote shared decision making and appreciating patient priorities.