Identify areas of disparate care between patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) of diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds for focus in continuing medical education.

Findings from 94 BIPOC and Hispanic (BIPOC-H) and 48 non-Hispanic White (nHW) individuals were analyzed (45% Black/African American (AA), 34% White, 14% Mixed/Other, 11% Hispanic; 87% female). BIPOC-H patients reported earlier age of symptom onset (54% <30 years vs 33% of nHW; p=0.02). Initial symptoms of blurred/loss of vision (31% vs 23%) or fatigue (14% vs 8%) trended more common among BIPOC-H patients. The BIPOC-H group was more likely to seek immediate care (80% vs 60%, p=0.04) and trended toward more frequent misdiagnosis (28% vs 19%) and longer diagnostic delay (49% vs 42% >1 year).

There were no significant differences in initial or current disease modifying therapy between groups, though BIPOC-H patients trended more likely to receive high efficacy agents. Patients of Black/AA or Mixed background (23% or 26% vs 4%; p=0.037) more often changed providers in response to feeling treated unfairly/inadequately. The majority of respondents (64% BIPOC-H, 65% nHW) were interested in clinical trial participation. For BIPOC-H patients, interest was largely related to new treatment access (56%) and helping others of similar backgrounds (60%).