Conclusions
Data from disease registers provide guidance for evidence-based health policies and research, so methods and strategies ensuring their quality and reliability are crucial and have several potential applications.
Methods
The Register collects, through a standardized Web-based Application, unique patients. Data are exported bimonthly and evaluated to assess the updating and completeness, and to check the quality and consistency. Eight clinical indicators are evaluated.
Results
The Register counts 77,628 patients registered by 126 centres. The number of centres has increased over time, as their capacity to collect patients. The percentages of updated patients (with at least one visit in the last 24 months) have increased from 33% (enrolment period 2000-2015) to 60% (enrolment period 2016-2022). In the cohort of patients registered after 2016, there were ≥ 75% updated patients in 30% of the small centres (33), in 9% of the medium centres (11), and in all the large centres (2). Clinical indicators show significant improvement for the active patients, expanded disability status scale every 6 months or once every 12 months, visits every 6 months, first visit within 1 year and MRI every 12 months. Conclusions: Data from disease registers provide guidance for evidence-based health policies and research, so methods and strategies ensuring their quality and reliability are crucial and have several potential applications.