Does The National Disability Insurance Scheme Work Well for People with MS?

Summary

Professor Bruce Taylor and his team aim to evaluate the impact of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) among Australians living with MS. They will do this in five projects:

They will determine how many people with MS have NDIS plans and if there are common characteristics among the people who have plans (e.g. if it is more common for males to have a plan compared to females).
Among those who have a plan, they will also explore what the average monetary value of an NDIS plan is and if there are common characteristics among those with higher value plans (e.g. if it is more common for people with more severe disability to have a higher value plan).
Among those with an NDIS plan, the team will evaluate the impact of becoming a NDIS participant on quality of life and workforce participation.
They will explore the experience of applying for and administering an NDIS plan for people living with MS in depth and identify barriers and facilitators to access.
The team will explore the experience of preparing or contributing to an NDIS application among local area coordinators and healthcare providers (e.g. GPs, neurologists, MS nurses) to identify strengths and weaknesses in the application process.

Professor Bruce Taylor and his team will then share what they have learnt through a free online course about accessing the NDIS for people living with MS.

Progress to Date

Professor Taylor and his team have developed a comprehensive questionnaire to evaluate the barriers that people with MS experience when applying to the NDIS for support. Once the questionnaire is approved by ethics, it will be rolled out to participants in the Australian MS Longitudinal Study (AMSLS).

The team has also started developing and implementing focus groups to facilitate analysing factors associated with NDIS membership and plan development.

Updated 31 March 2024

Updated: 22 February, 2023

Stages of the research process

Fundamental laboratory
Research

Laboratory research that investigates scientific theories behind the possible causes, disease progression, ways to diagnose and better treat MS.

Lab to clinic timeline: 10+ years

Translational
Research

Research that builds on fundamental scientific research to develop new therapies, medical procedures or diagnostics and advances it closer to the clinic.

Lab to clinic timeline: 5+ years

Clinical Studies
and Clinical Trials

Clinical research is the culmination of fundamental and translational research turning those research discoveries into treatments and interventions for people with MS.

Lab to clinic timeline: 1-5 years