Delivering high-quality multiple sclerosis care in Germany: challenges and regional models

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › Contributed › peer-review

Contributors

  • Marc Pawlitzki - , University Hospital Münster (Author)
  • Niklas Huntemann - , University Hospital Münster (Author)
  • Lars Masanneck - , University Hospital Duesseldorf (Author)
  • Noah M Werner - , Sauerlandklinik Hachen gGmbH (Author)
  • Julian Zimmermann - , DRK Kamillus-Klinik (Author)
  • Thomas Postert - , St. Vincenz Hospital Paderborn (Author)
  • Christoph Lassek - , Neurological group practice Kassel and Vellmar (Author)
  • Sven G Meuth - , University Hospital Münster (Author)
  • Klaus Gehring - , Neurozentrum am Klosterforst (Author)
  • Joachim Havla - , Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich (Author)
  • Philipp Albrecht - , Clinics Maria Hilf GmbH (Author)
  • Tjalf Ziemssen - , Department of Neurology (Author)
  • Matthias Grothe - , Greifswald University Hospital (Author)

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) care in Germany has entered a phase in which therapeutic progress is increasingly constrained by delivery capacity. Earlier diagnosis, broader access to high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), and more refined monitoring strategies have improved the potential for favourable long-term outcomes. At the same time, these advances have increased the need for specialised expertise, infusion and monitoring infrastructure, rapid imaging access, structured safety procedures, and cross-sector coordination. Real-world evidence from Germany indicates a shift towards early high-efficacy treatment but also shows regional variation in treatment initiation, therapy intensity, and the proportion of people with MS who remain DMT-untreated. This expert-informed narrative review combines a non-systematic literature review with selected regional implementation examples from German MS care. This review synthesises key delivery challenges in German MS care and maps regional models whose underlying organisational principles may be transferable across healthcare settings, while their specific implementation depends on the local regulatory and reimbursement context. The central argument is that high-quality MS care should be understood not only as a therapeutic decision but as a system property: evidence-based treatment must be embedded in reliable pathways for diagnosis, monitoring, escalation, de-escalation, rehabilitation, and long-term support. Regional models such as ambulatory specialist care structures, hub-and-spoke networks, Germany´s inpatient MS complex treatment programme, delegated task models, telemedical consultation pathways, and digital monitoring infrastructures provide practical building blocks. Implementation at scale will require measurable quality indicators, financing of coordination work, formalised skill-mix models, digital interoperability, and explicit strategies for ageing and multimorbid MS populations. For neurological practice, the challenge is therefore not whether modern MS care is possible, but how to make it reproducible, safe, and equitable across regions.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number75
JournalNeurological research and practice
Volume8
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 7 Sept 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMedCentral PMC13551735
Scopus 105049600578
ORCID /0000-0001-8799-8202/work/226837680

Keywords

Keywords

  • telemedicine, neuroimmunology, digital health, health services, multiple sclerosis, de-escalation, quality indicators, shared care, Germany