More than half of MS patients wait over 6 months — sometimes years — for a diagnosis, and a new study shows that living far from neurologists, MS specialists, or MRI facilities is a major culprit. Researchers analyzed nearly 8,300 patients and found geographic access to MS specialists had the strongest link to diagnostic delays. It's the first study to quantify how healthcare system geography shapes the MS diagnostic journey.
Getting diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) takes far too long for many patients — and where you live plays a bigger role than previously understood. A retrospective study of nearly 8,300 MS patients presented at MSToronto2026 found that 55% experienced a diagnostic delay of at least 6 months, with a median delay of 3 years. Crucially, greater geographic distance to neurologists, MS specialists, and MRI facilities was each independently associated with higher odds of delayed diagnosis.
The study is the first to formally quantify how geographic access to medical resources affects time to MS diagnosis. Researchers used geospatial modeling — accounting for both driving distance and resource density — to assess accessibility across U.S. census tracts. Access to MS specialists was the scarcest resource nationwide and showed the strongest association with diagnostic delay.
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Why it matters: These findings highlight that diagnostic delays in MS aren't just about disease complexity or evolving criteria — they're also a healthcare access problem. Identifying geographic barriers is a critical first step toward designing targeted interventions that could get patients diagnosed — and treated — sooner.
