A questionnaire assessment of unmet needs for rehabilitation services and resources for people with multiple sclerosis: results of a pilot survey in five European countries

Objective: To develop an international services and needs assessment instru ment (SUN) for people with multiple sclerosis and their carers and to pilot this in different countries of the European Community. Design: interview study of people with multiple sclerosis, their carers and nominated key professionals examining the unmet needs of patients and care rs. Setting: Belgium, Estonia, Greece, Italy and the United Kingdom. Main outcome measures: Needs assessment questionnaire. Results: The study c omprised 137 people with multiple sclerosis, 125 carers and ill professiona ls. Patients reported on average 2.9 unmet needs for themselves; their care rs and professionals reported on average 2.4. Needs were categorized into s even broad categories. Due to difficulties experienced by the local researc hers in distinguishing between needs and objectives a large proportion of n eeds had to be assigned to the 'other' category. Conclusions: The SUN is a valuable and practicable tool for the identificat ion of unmet needs for people with multiple sclerosis and their carers. For mal validation and reliability testing of the different language versions i s recommended.