Short and mid-term research priorities for Veterans with multiple sclerosis: A modified Delphi process engaging Veterans, researchers, and operational partners.

Mult Scler Relat Disord

Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence West, Veterans Affairs, USA; Rehabilitation Care Service, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 S Columbian Way, Seattle, Washington, 98108, USA; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, 325 9th Avenue, Seattle, Washington, 98104, USA. Electronic address:

Published: January 2025

Background/objective: Identifying research priorities of Veterans, MS researchers, and key stakeholders is critical to advance high-quality, evidence-based, and Veteran-specific MS care.

Methods: We used a modified Delphi approach to identify research priorities for Veterans with MS. Electronic surveys were distributed to Veterans with MS (n = 50,975), MS researchers (n = 191), VA healthcare providers (1,337), and funding agency representatives (n = 6) asking about their 2-3 most important research questions that would benefit Veterans with MS for researchers to answer in the next 5-10 years. Next, Delphi panelists, including Veterans, independently completed two rounds of rank ordering the questions in terms of priority. Finally, the Delphi panel met to discuss and finalize the list.

Results: Sixty researchers, healthcare providers, and stakeholders and 1,322 Veterans completed the initial questionnaire. The final list of the top nine research questions focused on advancing research in several thematic areas: neuroprotection and remyelination, alleviating MS symptoms, epidemiology, and exercise.

Conclusion: Engaging multiple methods and Veterans at every stage of priority setting enables a representative and nuanced description of the most important VA-centric MS research questions. MS researchers are now prepared to address these targeted questions to serve Veterans with MS and meet their most pressing concerns.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.msard.2025.106267DOI Listing

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