Work Productivity Among People with Multiple Sclerosis before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Research into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and productivity of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is ongoing.

Objectives: To evaluate productivity loss before and during COVID-19 among participants in MS Lifelines (MSLL), a patient-support program for patients receiving cladribine tablets or subcutaneous interferon-β1a (scIFNβ1a), and the National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS).

Methods: MSLL participants with relapsing MS, treatment with cladribine tablets or scIFNβ1a, and age ≥18 years from May 12–July 2, 2021 were propensity-score matched based on age, sex, race, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score to individuals without MS from the 2019 and 2021 NHWS. NHWS participants with an MS diagnosis and currently taking a DMT for MS from the 2019 and 2021 NHWS were also evaluated. Productivity loss was assessed using the Work Productivity and Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire. Demographics, clinical characteristics, and WPAI were compared using Chi-squared tests.

Results: Among MSLL participants (n=1090), 2019 NHWS participants with MS (n=101), matched 2019 NHWS participants without MS (n=2180), 2021 NHWS participants with MS (n=65), and matched 2021 NHWS participants without MS (n=2180): mean (SD) ages were 50.01 (11.85)/51.75 (12.26)/49.90 (11.88)/51.77 (12.60)/49.92 (12.02); the proportions that were female were 78.2%/82.2%/78.2%/90.8%/78.2%; and mean (SD) CCI scores were 0.41 (0.89)/1.05 (3.89)/0.39 (0.81)/0.52 (0.97)/0.39 (0.81). Compared with 2019/2021 NHWS participants without MS, participants from MSLL had less absenteeism (7.20 [18.64]/7.35 [18.06] vs. 3.57 [11.06]) but more activity impairment (24.25 [28.61]/25.26 [30.20] vs. 36.92 [31.48]). Compared with 2019 NHWS participants with MS, participants from MSLL had less presenteeism (30.65 [28.16] vs. 19.24 [23.71]), less overall work impairment (33.72 [29.56] vs. 20.89 [25.66]), and less activity impairment (48.32 [29.02] vs. 36.92 [31.48]). Compared with 2021 NHWS participants with MS, participants from MSLL had less activity impairment (47.54 [25.06] vs. 36.92 [31.48]). Work productivity was similar for NHWS participants with MS pre- and during COVID-19.

Conclusions: This study captured work productivity before and during COVID-19. MSLL participants had favorable productivity compared with NHWS participants with MS, and MSLL participants had less absenteeism but more activity impairment compared with NHWS participants without MS. However, differences must be interpreted in the context of study design limitations.