The Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF)
Established in 1967 MSIF’s mission is to lead the global MS movement’s efforts to improve the quality of life of people affected by MS and develop understanding and treatment of MS by facilitating international cooperation between MS societies, the international research community and other stakeholders.
It does this by:
- Stimulating and facilitating international cooperation and collaboration in research to better understand the nature of MS, to develop better treatment and rehabilitation of people with MS and inform relevant communication and advocacy initiatives.
- Supporting and encouraging the development of new MS societies and stimulating and supporting existing national MS societies in their work to improve the quality of life of people affected by MS.
- Enhancing and complementing MS societies’ efforts to increase awareness, knowledge and understanding of MS and of the needs of people with MS and how to improve their quality of life, whilst being a resource for those people affected by MS who do not have an MS society to support them.
- Supporting MS societies and people affected by MS to have and exert influence on laws, policies and decisions in order to improve the quality of life of people affected by MS and to exert such influence at the international level.
Rehabilitation in MS (RIMS)
RIMS is a network of MS centres created in 1991 in Milan, Italy to enhance collaboration between European MS centres. RIMS is a dynamic interdisciplinary association affiliating more than 40 MS centres spread throughout more than 20 European countries. Its members are comprehensive MS research and treatment centres, MS clinics and corporations with a
special interest in MS. Besides the member states of the European Community, the research and treatment programmes have been opened to research organisations and clinics in central and eastern European countries and the new independent states of the former Soviet Union.
Consortium of MS Centers (CMSC)
Organised in 1986 under the direction of neurologists interested in clinical care and collaborative research in MS, the CMSC has grown to become a multidisciplinary organisation providing a team approach to MS care and a network for all healthcare professionals and others specialising in the care of people with MS. The CMSC includes more than 200 member centres in the United States, Canada and Europe, representing more than 4,000 healthcare professionals worldwide who provide care for more than 200,000 people with MS.
The International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses (IOMSN)
The IOMSN was founded in 1997 to support the professional development and networking of MS nurse specialists worldwide. To date, the IOMSN has more than 1,700 international members. In 2002, the first MS nursing certification examination was offered and currently there are more than 600 MS certified nurses throughout the world. The examination has been offered in English, Dutch, French Canadian, and will be offered in Finnish and Italian in the near future.
Contents
What services and support can an MS centre provide?
Who uses an MS centre and when?
Who provides the services and support?
Different medical service models