Comparing Preferences of Men and Women With Multiple Sclerosis for Neurologist-Provided Support

Abstract

Background: Sex and gender may influence the preferences of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in their interactions with health care professionals. We aimed to identify similarities and differences between men and women with MS in their fulfilled and unmet needs and expectations regarding neurologist-provided support. Methods: Survey responses to 3 open-ended questions on neurologist-provided support from the Swiss MS Registry were analyzed using a deductive thematic approach based on an established 5-category social support framework, with responses that did not fit the framework analyzed inductively. Findings were compared between men and women using narrative summaries and counts and frequencies of coded support categories. Results: Six hundred seventy participants contributed 1446 text inputs (372 from 163 men; 1074 from 507 women). Both men and women valued a range of neurologist support, including active listening, clear information, sufficient consultation time, and empathy; men most frequently reported receiving informational support (39.0%), whereas women emphasized both emotional (27.6%) and informational support (26.8%). Overall, 24.5% of men and 17.0% of women reported unmet support needs and expectations, with informational support accounting for nearly two-thirds of men’s (65.3%) and one-third of women’s (32.9%) unmet needs. Support perceptions may be shaped by diagnostics and therapy, neurologist characteristics, and health care site features, the latter raised exclusively by women. Conclusions: Men and women with MS share core expectations for neurologist support but differ in emphasis, with men prioritizing informational support and women valuing a broader range of support types. Perceptions of support may be influenced by factors related to care context.