Guest Editorial

In this issue of the International Journal of MS Care, we celebrate 25 years of data collection by the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis (NARCOMS) Registry, the world’s largest self-report registry for MS. The development and long-term success of the NARCOMS Registry reflect the vision, persistence, and support of Dr. Timothy Vollmer, the first director of the registry, and June Halper, chief executive officer of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC). The NARCOMS Registry is one of several registries worldwide that have contributed to our understanding of epidemiology and outcomes in MS, thus expanding our understanding of the disease experience. In the continuing education article herein, Marrie et al discuss the value of disease registries as well as conceptual issues related to registry design using NARCOMS as an example.