Multiple Sclerosis: key data sources

Practice team information

The Practice team information (PTI) scheme collects information on all consultations with members of the primary care team for a sample of 40-50 Scottish practices. The main limitation of PTI as a source of information about multiple sclerosis (MS) arises from the fact that prevalence estimates are based on primary care consultations and that the natural course of MS means there may be long periods of remission from the disease during which patients may have little or no contact with the health service. In addition, PTI only records the reason for consultation, so that consultations for other health problems by people who happen to have MS will not be recorded as MS. While PTI data provide a good estimate of the number of people consulting the primary care team because of MS, they will tend to considerably underestimate the prevalence of the condition.

Scottish Morbidity Record scheme (SMR01)

The SMR01 database holds records of all inpatient and day case activity in NHS hospitals in Scotland as well as linked data on deaths in Scotland provided by the General Register Office for Scotland. Because people with MS are not routinely admitted to hospital to make the diagnosis, and because much of their care is delivered in primary care settings, SMR01 data tend to considerably underestimate the prevalence of the condition.

Scottish Morbidity Record scheme (SMR00)

The SMR00 database holds records of outpatient attendances in the NHS in Scotland. It provides information about the speciality providing care (for example in the case of MS, neurology or general medical clinics) but not specific diagnostic information. As a result it is not a reliable guide to prevalence of workload associated with MS.