Exploring Therapeutic Problems in Women with Multiple Sclerosis: A Qualitative Study

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most important diseases of the nervous system. The incidence of this disease in women is about two to three times that of men. The main cause of this disease is not fully understood and there is no definitive treatment for it. The aim of this study was to identify the treatment problems in this group of patients.
In this qualitative study, content analysis method was used. Based on the purposive sampling method and theoretical saturation criterion, 23 patients with multiple sclerosis who referred to the Association for the Protection of Menthol Patients in Tehran, Iran, during the year 2014 participated in this study. Semi-structured interview method was used to collect the data. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis method.
Out of the interviews, 1100 codes were obtained in three stages of analysis. These codes fell into one category of treatment problems and five subcategories of "high cost of treatment", "lack of access to medicine", "neglecting patient's rights from doctors and medical personnel", "lack of adequate empathy from medical personnel", and "Complications of medications".
Patients with multiple sclerosis are facing specific problems in the treatment of their illness, which require social attention and protection; they can be supported by appropriate insurance coverage and the provision of medicines, especially foreign drugs, at affordable and low-cost tariffs by the government and the community. A great contribution is needed to reduce the pain and suffering of this group of patients.