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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2022 Sep;36(9):1244-1256.
doi: 10.1177/02692155221107074. Epub 2022 Jun 7.

Evaluating occupational performance coaching to support fatigue management for people with multiple sclerosis: A feasibility study

Sorayya Askari  1 , Dorothy Kessler  2 , Penelope Smyth  3 , Marcia Finlayson  2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Evaluating occupational performance coaching to support fatigue management for people with multiple sclerosis: A feasibility study

Sorayya Askari et al. Clin Rehabil. 2022 Sep.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the feasibility of adding coaching sessions to a website (MS INFoRM) that supports self-directed fatigue management for people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS).

Design: Double-blind, parallel-group feasibility study.

Participants and setting: Twenty-six PwMS, who experienced severe fatigue (fatigue severity scale > 5.4), were recruited from participants who were ineligible for the main trial testing on the MS INFoRM website.

Intervention: Six 45-to-60-min sessions of one-on-one coaching plus access to the MS INFoRm website compared to two check-in phone calls plus access to the MS INFoRm website. Both study arms took place over 3 months.

Main measures: Feasibility parameters included proportion eligible of those screened; proportion consented; missing data; retention and adherence rates. Acceptability was explored through qualitative interviews. Secondary outcomes (self-efficacy and fatigue impact) were measured at baseline and post-intervention.

Results: 76 people were invited to participate in this add-on study. 40 were interested and screened: 32 were eligible, 26 consented, and were randomized (mean age: 48.5 yrs (SD: 8.7), mean disease duration: 11.5 yrs). Retention was 85% (22 out of 26). Coaching adherence was high (86% attended ⩾ 5 sessions). At 3 months, people in the intervention group showed more improvements in self-efficacy and fatigue impact compared to the comparison group, however, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.471 and p = 0.147, respectively). The intervention was well-received by the participants and there were no adverse events.

Conclusion: Combining one-on-one coaching sessions along with web-based interventions is feasible and appreciated by the participants, and worth exploring further in a larger trial.

Keywords: Feasibility study; coaching; fatigue management; multiple sclerosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flow diagram.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Finlayson M, Akbar N, Turpin Ket al. et al. A multi-site, randomized controlled trial of MS INFoRm, a fatigue self-management website for persons with multiple sclerosis: rationale and study protocol. BMC Neurol 2019; 19: 42. - PMC - PubMed
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