What if we no longer have to rely on a few visits to the doctor to manage a chronic condition, but we can lean on year-round insights? That is the idea behind MS Sherpa. The company has developed a digital monitoring tool that allows people with multiple sclerosis to perform short, clinically validated tests at home using their smartphone.
At the core of MS Sherpa is a simple but powerful idea: more frequent measurement leads to better understanding. Patients perform short tests, typically once a week. These combine objective measurements such as measurements of walking ability and cognitive processing with subjective input about how they feel. Over time, this builds a much richer picture than traditional care allows.
“You see trends, not just moments”, Sonja Cloosterman, board member and Chief Clinical Officer of Sherpa says. “That helps both the patient and the doctor make more informed decisions.” The approach also opens the door to more efficient care. “It is not about replacing contact”, she emphasises. “It is about making that contact less about tests and more about the patient’s experience.”
From innovation to implementation
MS Sherpa has already taken the step from concept to certified medical product. The tool is clinically validated and designed to fit within existing care pathways, in collaboration with both academic and clinical partners such as the MS centre of Amsterdam UMC, Upendo and other MS centres. That puts the company in a position many digital health initiatives aim for. Yet this is also where a new phase begins.
“The interest is there”, Cloosterman says. “If we use these tools well, patients can measure at home, and healthcare professionals can focus on the moments that really matter.” It can improve care and reduce pressure at the same time. The challenge is to turn that interest into everyday use.
A sector-wide opportunity
What Sherpa as a company is experiencing reflects a broader moment in healthcare. Digital tools are ready, but systems and processes are still catching up. “It is not just about adding a tool”, Cloosterman explains. “It often means organising care in a slightly different way.”
Digital tools introduce new data, and new responsibilities. Instead of relying on familiar guidelines and fixed thresholds, physicians are asked to interpret continuous streams of patient-specific data, often without clear frameworks or time built into their workflow. “That is where you see hesitation”, Cloosterman explains. “It is not about the tool, but about how to use it in practice.”
Making that shift work requires collaboration. Reimbursement pathways need to align. Care processes need to adapt. Healthcare professionals and patients need support in using new tools. “It is something we need to tackle together”, Cloosterman says.
More data, better questions
The growing availability of data brings new possibilities, but also new questions. Healthcare systems are largely built around averages and standardised guidelines. Digital monitoring introduces detailed, individual data over time.
“You suddenly have a curve for each patient”, Cloosterman explains. “That is very valuable, but it also requires new ways of interpreting data.” For physicians, this creates a real tension: they are used to working with clear thresholds based on group averages, but personalised data does not always fit neatly into those frameworks, making it harder to decide when and how to act.
Rather than seeing this as a limitation, Sherpa views it as part of the evolution towards more personalised care. “We are learning how to use this data in practice”, she says. “That is a natural step.” Ongoing research and real-world use are helping to translate measurements into actionable insights.
Patients as active participants
For digital monitoring to work, patients need to be engaged as well. That is not always straightforward. “Some patients feel that regular testing makes them more aware of their disease”, Cloosterman says. “You have to find the right balance.”
At the same time, many patients appreciate the additional insight. “They understand better what is happening over time. That can be very empowering.” Patient organisations play an important role in supporting this shift, helping to explain the benefits and encourage adoption.
Scaling the impact
Sherpa currently focuses on multiple sclerosis, a condition with around 25,000 patients in the Netherlands. “It’s a good starting point”, Cloosterman says. “But there’s broader potential in broader application.”
The same approach could be used in other neurodegenerative conditions, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. For this, Sherpa received grants from organisations such as Interreg and the Gelderland province. Germany is also an important next step, offering a larger patient population and a healthcare system that is increasingly open to digital solutions. The first contacts are already there with the MS centre of the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus in Dresden.
A strong local network
Sherpa deliberately chose to settle at Novio Tech Campus in Nijmegen. There, the company connects with other startups and partners like Briskr. “As a small company, you benefit from a network”, Cloosterman says. “Together you can join events that would be out of reach for just us.” A recent example is the Health Valley event where Sherpa and Briskr shared a booth on the exhibition floor. “The visibility you get by joining forces, you simply wouldn’t have on your own.”
To accelerate adoption, Sherpa is actively exploring partnerships with other digital health companies, healthcare providers and insurers. “As a single company, you can only go so far”, Cloosterman says. “By working together, you can create the momentum needed to make real change.”
More information on https://www.mssherpa.nl/
