PAN12: MS Care Connect with John Foley, M.D.

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Those of us living with MS tend to see our neurologist once or twice a year, especially when the disease is stable. The problem is that changes can occur between visits that we don’t recognize or forget to write down to address at the next appointment. There may be areas of disease progression that we do not notice if these changes go unmonitored.

John Foley, M.D., founder of the Rocky Mountain MS Clinic is trying to change that. Dr. Foley joins the Patient Activation Network to discuss this and other topics related to living with MS.  “We have the tools now to do better,” reflected Dr. Foley, “let’s do better.”

About John Foley, M.D.

John F. Foley is a neurologist and researcher with over 25 years of experience treating neurological disorders. Dr. Foley earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin and went on to complete his residency in Neurology at the University of Utah. He served as Chief over the Division of Neurology at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, before founding his own clinic neurology clinic in 1990. He realized there was a large unmet need for MS specialists in the area, and in 2006 he created Rocky Mountain MS Clinic. The clinic now treats over 2500 MS patients spanning several states in the Intermountain region.

In 2011, as part of his commitment to integrate the latest research into the clinic, Dr. Foley created Rocky Mountain MS Research Group. His research interests have included immunomodulator safety and efficacy, fatigue and pain, and monoclonal antibody related progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Dr. Foley is passionate about education and participates in outreach programs to raise awareness of emerging trends and treatments in MS. He remains an active member of the MS Society Board of Directors, and is President Emeritus of the Medical Staff at LDS Hospital. He has served on the Board of Trustees for the Intermountain Health Care Urban Central Region.

About the Rocky Mountain MS Clinic

Since its founding in 2005, the goal of Rocky Mountain MS Clinic (RMMSC) has been to provide quality care and support for individuals with multiple sclerosis and their families. Our philosophy is to provide each individual with a care plan that has been tailored to his/her unique needs, starting at the time of diagnosis. Our team of MS experts includes board-certified neurologists, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, nurses, and researchers who continually seek to bring the latest discoveries in MS research to each patient at the clinic. RMMSC is recognized by the National MS Society as a Center for Comprehensive MS Care. RMMSC is centrally located in downtown Salt Lake City, UT and serves patients throughout the Intermountain West.

About the MS Care Connect App for Patients

MS Care Connect was created by MS experts to help you confidentially monitor your health over time and share that information with your doctor, if you choose. Track and record every aspect of your MS health with easy-to-use features, see your results in real-time data visualizations, and compare your MS experience with other anonymous users. With these insights, you can have more productive conversations with your healthcare team and make more informed decisions about your care.

• Health Tracker: A convenient tool to monitor your daily MS symptoms and well-being
• Performance Metrics: Fun, game-like exercises that measure your physical and mental functioning
• Surveys: Brief questionnaires created by researchers that provide information about your symptoms and treatments, and the impact of MS on your lifestyle

Episode Outline

• About John Foley, M.D.
• Evolution in MS Therapeutics
• MS Experience beyond the Therapeutics
• What are Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs)
• The importance of recording symptoms in between neurology visits
• About the MS Care Connect App
• Strategies for Reporting App Data to you Doctor
• How Patient Generated Health Data can empower the Patient and Provider
• Dr. Foley discuss how app data has helped generate trends in his practice
• How regular participation in PROs can help patient identify problem areas
• What kind of PROs are available in the MS Care Connect
• The importance of staying proactive in managing MS
• Closing Thoughts

Related Links

• https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.interpro.mscareconnect&hl=en
• https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ms-care-connect/id1179230419?mt=8
• https://www.mscareconnect.com/#/
• https://www.facebook.com/mscareconnect/
• http://rockymountainmsclinic.com/

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