Identifying strategies to characterize the diversity of the MS population in Canada: a nominal group study

Background Diversity of the multiple sclerosis (MS) population in Canada is unknown, yet demographic and diversity-related characteristics influence health outcomes. Objective To determine “What strategy would best address the information gaps regarding diversity of the MS population in Canada?” Methods The virtual nominal group technique involved silent idea generation, recording and discussion of items, preliminary voting, discussion and final ranking. Results Eight participants proposed 10 strategies; two were dropped before final voting, after which the top options (tied) were: a national standardized clinic form, novel applications of administrative data, and novel data linkages. Conclusion We identified strategies to characterize the diversity of the MS population in Canada.