Monitoring of symptoms and interventions associated with multiple sclerosis.

We have utilized the Structured Data Entry approach to build a prototype interface for the recording of personalized symptoms associated with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The software provides both graphical input and output, to facilitate efficient data entry and monitoring. Graphical input is transformed to textual information, which is stored in a database in a hierarchical tree structure. Pain management in MS may be achieved by careful monitoring of the symptom in response to treatment. Pain location is selected on a body image and severity and other attributes represented using a graphical visual analog scale, leading to more convenient input and a less ambiguous coding than is achievable with narrative text alone. The Internet can be used to record and provide access to clinical data, assisting the citizen by providing a healthcare professional partnership approach to care. This approach could provide an objective means of monitoring symptoms and hence provide a more personalized approach to MS management.