MS is the leading cause of non-traumatic disability in young adults. Canada and Alberta, have the highest prevalence of people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) in the world. To keep PwMS as functional as possible, a multi-disciplinary team is considered essential in the approach to treating people with MS. Because of the high numbers of PwMS in Northern Alberta, private-practice general neurologists provide care to a large number of PwMS outside of a multi-disciplinary tertiary care setting. It is challenging for these general neurologists with busy office practices to deliver optimal care to PwMS who have high care needs. The investigators wish to evaluate the effects of nurse practitioner (NP) led care for PwMS on their depression and anxiety levels at 3 and 6 months compared to "usual care' (community neurologists and MS registered nurses) in addition to measuring quality of life for PwMS and their caregivers, fatigue levels, monitor their outpatient healthcare usage and patient's satisfaction of care provided. The investigators wish to conduct a prospective randomized controlled trial examining NP intervention care for PwMS. It is hypothesized that PwMS whose care is managed by an NP will have less depression and anxiety (as measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - HADS) at 3 months.
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Difference in Change in Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale - Depression (HADS-D) and Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale-Anxiety (HADS-A) scores
Timeframe: 3 months