An assessment of the feasibility and utility of the MS symptom and impact diary (MSSID).

The Multiple Sclerosis Symptom and Impact Diary (MSSID) was developed to provide a more comprehensive assessment of the impact of multiple sclerosis (MS) on HRQoL for use in clinical practice. This paper reports on an assessment of its feasibility and utility in two outpatient samples of people with MS (n = 13 and n = 63) using quantitative and qualitative methods. The response rate in study 2 was 82% and 83% of days were fully completed. Most respondents found the MSSID easy to understand and got into the habit of completing it. Missing items increased over time and those who experienced a relapse had more missing items than those who did not but there was no difference in the number of missed days. Some respondents found completing the MSSID enabled them to manage their lives more effectively and provided useful information to their neurologist. It is concluded that the MSSID is feasible for people with MS to complete and some may find the MSSID helpful as a tool to monitor their condition. Further research is needed to examine clinicians' perceptions of the feasibility and utility of the MSSID within clinical practice.