At a glance
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Effectiveness of a Teleconference Delivered Fatigue Management Program for People With Multiple Sclerosis
In Brief
A clinical study evaluating Energy conservation education for Multiple Sclerosis. Completed, enrolled 190 participants across 1 site.
Detailed Summary
Approximately 60% of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) describe fatigue as their most disabling symptom. Energy conservation education involves teaching people with MS different strategies to manage fatigue and reduce its impact on daily life. Despite growing evidence of the effectiveness of face-to-face energy conservation education, not all people with MS are able to access these programs. The purpose of this project is to test the effectiveness and efficacy of a teleconference-delivered energy conservation education program for people with MS. The primary goals of the project are to reduce the impact of fatigue on participants' everyday lives, reduce fatigue severity, and improve quality of life. Secondary goals are to increase self-efficacy for managing fatigue and increase the number of energy conservation strategies used. The study will employ a randomly allocated two group time series design with a wait-list control group, which is one type of randomized control trial. A total of 181 people with MS will be recruited through direct mailing and advertising. The program will be delivered by telephone teleconference by a licensed occupational therapist. Outcome measures will be administered over the telephone by a research assistant before and after the program, at three months and at six months. We hypothesize that: (1) individuals in the immediate intervention group achieve better outcomes than individuals in the wait-list control group; (2) the program leads to significant reductions in fatigue impact and fatigue severity, and improved quality of life; and (3) improvements in the outcomes can be maintained over six months.
Study Details
Timeline
Interventions
The intervention for this study is a group-based educational program delivered by teleconference to 4-6 individuals with MS by a licensed occupational therapist. The program involves 6 weekly sessions. Each session is 1 hour and 15 minutes in duration. Key topics addressed include: importance of rest, positive and effective communication, modification of the environment, using equipment and technology, setting priorities, and activity analysis and modification. Direct instruction, group discussion, and peer support are key elements of the program. Participants receive a manual with application activities that are completed in between sessions.