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Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the type and priority needs of people with multiple sclerosis in Khuzestan using Persian version of the Southampton Needs Assessment Questionnaire (SNAQ) and their relationship to age, gender, and physical disability scale, respectively.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the priority needs of 100 patients with multiple sclerosis (aged below 18 years) were studied, whose diagnosis had crossed over a period of one year. This study was covered by the MS Society of Khuzestan Province. Out of 100 patients, 25 were men and 75 were women. The data were analyzed to calculate the dispersion index of the unmet needs after the determination of initial priority needs by using the chi-square statistics.
Results: Based on the patients’ responses, around eight unmet needs were located. Treatment needs, rehabilitation, and financial assistance were the first priority, the need for affordable housing and optimizing environment were at the second place, and employment, information, and fun were at the third place. With the increasing scale of physical disability, the dependence of the individuals on basic needs like treatment, rehabilitation, financial service and, accessibility for an optimizing environmental increases, and people’s satisfaction with the quality of health services reduces (P<0.05). The findings of the study also highlighted that need for information increases with increase in age (P<0.05).
Discussion: In order to meet the needs of people with multiple sclerosis in Khuzestan province, attempts should be made by planners and authorities to fix the therapeutic, rehabilitation, and financial issues at first, followed by the issues of affordable housing. Appropriate measures should be implemented for the success of these programs, and proper assessments of its functionality should be done in a periodic manner.