Multiple Sclerosis: Lombardy strengthens its healthcare network with the new Co.Re.SM coordination center.

The Lombardy Region strengthens its commitment in the fight against multiple sclerosis (MS) through the establishment of a new regional coordination body: the Co.Re.SM (Regional Coordination for Multiple Sclerosis)This is a technical forum designed to network specialized centers across the region and improve the quality, consistency, and effectiveness of patient healthcare.

The initiative represents a concrete step towards a more coordinated and integrated management of the pathology, in line with the indications contained in the National PDTA issued by Agenas in 2022, and is part of a regional healthcare context which already has a structured network of over 30 centers dedicated to multiple sclerosis.

The main objective is to promote the sharing of skills, clinical information and best practices between Lombardy centres, guaranteeing patients timely, appropriate and consistent responses across the region.

Over 23.000 patients in Lombardy and approximately 600 new cases each year

Multiple sclerosis is one of the main causes of neurological disability in young adultsIn Italy it is estimated that more than 140.000 people affected by the disease, with approx 3.600 new diagnoses every year.

In Lombardy the epidemiological picture highlights a strong incidence: in fact, it is estimated over 23.000 patients, with approx 600 new cases annuallyThese numbers highlight the significant health and social impact of the disease on the region.

For this reason, the Region aims to further strengthen healthcare organizational models. According to the Vice President and Councilor for Budget and Finance of the Lombardy Region: Marco AlparoneThe creation of a coordinating body represents a strategic step towards improving the integration of existing expertise in the area and ensuring an increasingly efficient healthcare system.

Innovation, he underlined, becomes a fundamental lever for the evolution of the regional health system thanks to the integration of advanced technologies, data analysis tools and new organizational models aimed at improving the appropriateness of care, the efficiency of clinical processes, and the sustainability of resources.

An organizational model to reduce inconsistencies in care

The new regional coordination was born with the aim of harmonize the organizational models of the Lombard centers, promoting greater coherence between healthcare planning and clinical practice.

According to the regional councilor Silvia ScuratiMultiple sclerosis represents a significant challenge for public health. Having a governance tool capable of strengthening continuity of care and updating treatment options allows us to build a more structured and uniform multidisciplinary care throughout the Lombardy region.

Even the regional councilor Lisa Noia, president of the regional intergroup on rare diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and neurosciences, highlighted how health governance must not remain a theoretical concept, but become a concrete lever to ensure equity and quality of health services, reducing any inequalities in access to the most advanced treatments.

Innovative therapies and the need for shared criteria

In recent years the therapeutic panorama of multiple sclerosis has seen significant progress, with the introduction of new drugs and therapeutic strategies that are modifying the natural history of the disease.

According to the professor Max Philippi, Professor of Neurology and Director of the Complex Units of Neurology, Neurophysiology and Neurorehabilitation of theIRCCS San Raffaele of Milano, the expansion of therapeutic options represents a great opportunity for patients but also entails the need for define shared criteria for appropriateness, monitoring and evaluation of clinical outcomes.

In this context, Co.Re.SM will be able to facilitate alignment between the various regional centers and accelerate the transfer of scientific innovations into daily clinical practice.

Research, assistance and quality of life at the heart of the new model

Another central element of the new coordination concerns the integration between clinical research, healthcare, rehabilitation and patient quality of life.

The technical table will be able to promote the sharing of clinical data and scientific evidence, encouraging the use of real world evidence and the systematic measurement of therapeutic outcomes and quality of life of people with multiple sclerosis.

Secondo Paul Bandiera, Director of General Affairs and Institutional Relations of AISM – Italian Multiple Sclerosis AssociationIt is essential that scientific innovations quickly translate into concrete benefits for patients. Regional coordination can facilitate this process by promoting organizational models capable of integrating neurological care, rehabilitation programs and attention to the social participation of people with MS.

Towards a structured regional care pathway

Among the objectives of the new regional body there is also that of strengthen the connection between the hospital and the territory, facilitating patient access to the best available expertise and the most advanced diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitation services.

The activation of Co.Re.SM therefore represents a strategic step towards an increasingly more sustainable healthcare model. coordinated, innovative and results-oriented, in which governance and organization become fundamental tools for addressing a disease with a high epidemiological, clinical, and social impact.

The process of strengthening the regional network for multiple sclerosis is expected to be completed in the next few months with the definition of a Dedicated regional PDTA, which will allow us to further structure the care pathway for patients in Lombardy.