Competing interests
The MS@Work study is partially funded by Teva Pharmaceuticals. KH, DG, MH, IL, MR, JK, FV, HM, LV, EB, MB, JF, SF, BG, WM, PP, WV and DZ declare that they have no competing interests.
Dr. E.P.J. Arnoldus reports personal fees from honoraria for lectures, and honoraria for advisory boards from TEVA Netherlands, Biogen Idec and Novartis, outside the submitted work.
Dr. P.J. Jongen reports other (fees for ICT work) from National MS Foundation, during the conduct of the study; grants and other (Advisory Board MS Academia; BALANCE study) from Merck Serono, grants and other (reparation and presentation “MS Treatment Algorithm”; OBTAIN study) from Bayer Netherlands, grants from Allergan Inc. (Dutch Actionable Validation Study), grants from TEVA Netherlands (MS monitor project), grants from National MS Foundation (Dutch MS Study), outside the submitted work.
Dr. J.J.J. van Eijk received honoraria for lectures, travel grants and honoraria for advisory boards from TEVA Netherlands, Merck Serono, Genzyme, Biogen, Idec and Novartis, outside the submitted work.
Dr. G.J.D. Hengstman reports grants and personal fees from Biogen Idec, grants, personal fees and other from Novartis, grants and personal fees from Teva Pharmaceuticals, grants and personal fees from Merck Serono, grants, personal fees and other from Genzyme, outside the submitted work.
Dr. E. Hoitsma reports grants from Genzyme, grants from Biogen, grants from Bayer, outside the submitted work.
Dr. R.M.M. Hupperts received honoraria for lectures, grants for research and honoraria for advisory boards from Merck Serono, Novartis, Genzyme Sanofi and Biogen, outside the submitted work.
Dr. J.P. Mostert reports personal fees from Novartis, Merck Serono, Genzyme, TEVA, outside the submitted work.
Authors’ contributions
KH: study conception and design, data collection, study coordination, wrote manuscript. DG: data collection, study coordination, wrote manuscript. MH: data collection, local study coordination. IL, MR, JK, FV and HM: study conception and design. PJ: data collection. LV: study conception and design, data collection, study coordination. The other co-authors in the MS@Work study group (EA, EB, MB, JE, JF, SF, BG, GH, EH, RH, WM, JM, PP, WV and DZ) are involved with the acquisition of data and local study coordination. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Authors’ information
MS@Work Study Group, co-authors:
E.P.J. Arnoldus, St. Elisabeth-TweeSteden Hospital, Department of Neurology, PO Box 90151, 5000 LC Tilburg, The Netherlands;
E.A.C. Beenakker, Medisch Centrum Leeuwarden, Department of Neurology, PO Box 888, 8901 BR Leeuwarden, The Netherlands;
H.M. Bos, St. Anna Ziekenhuis, Department of Neurology, PO Box 90, 5660 AB Geldrop, The Netherlands;
J.J.J. van Eijk, Jeroen Bosch Ziekenhuis, Department of Neurology, PO Box 90153, 5200 ME’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands;
J. Fermont, Amphia Ziekenhuis, Department of Neurology, PO Box 90158, 4800 RK Breda, The Netherlands;
S.T.F.M. Frequin, St. Antonius Hospital, Department of Neurology, PO Box 2500, 3430 EM Nieuwegein, The Netherlands;
B.M. van Geel, Medisch Centrum Alkmaar, Department of Neurology, PO Box 501, 1800 AM Alkmaar, The Netherlands;
G.J.D. Hengstman, Catharina Ziekenhuis, Department of Neurology, PO Box 1350, 5602 ZA Eindhoven, The Netherlands;
E. Hoitsma, Alrijne Ziekenhuis Leiden, Department of Neurology, Leiden, PO Box 9650, 2300 RD Leiden, The Netherlands;
R.M.M. Hupperts, Orbis Medisch Centrum, Department of Neurology, PO Box 5500, 6130 MB Sittard, The Netherlands;
J.W.B. Moll, Maasstad Ziekenhuis, Department of Neurology, PO Box 9100, 3007 AC Rotterdam, The Netherlands;
J.P. Mostert, Rijnstate Ziekenhuis, Department of Neurology, PO Box 9555, 6800 TA Arnhem, The Netherlands;
P.H.M. Pop, VieCuri, Department of Neurology, PO Box 1926, 5900 BX Venlo, The Netherlands.
W.I.M. Verhagen, Canisius-Wilhelmina Ziekenhuis, Department of Neurology, PO Box 9015, 6500 GS Nijmegen, The Netherlands;
D. Zemel, Albert Schweitzer Ziekenhuis, Department of Neurology, PO Box 444, 3300 AK Dordrecht, the Netherlands.