Innovative Follow-up Across Health Care Levels to Optimize Functions, Physical Activity and Employment for Individuals With MS: A Pilot Feasibility Study
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Sponsor
- Nordlandssykehuset HF
- Enrollment
- 30
- Locations
- 2
- Primary Endpoint
- MS Work Difficulties Questionnaire-23
- Last Updated
- 4 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease affecting young adults. Impaired balance, walking, reduced physical activity and participation in employment are common, however, less integrated in the health care. The researchers have developed a multidisciplinary intervention and pathway delivered across health care levels targeting the promotion of balance, walking, physical activity and participation in employment. The research team will perform a pilot feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) and interviews to investigate the feasibility of the new intervention compared to a standard care for individuals with lower levels of disability.
Detailed Description
The study addresses core elements in the health services for individuals with MS, constituting approximately 11000 in Norway. The two-armed pilot feasibility-RCT will be performed across the MS-outpatient (MS-OP) clinic, Nordland Hospital Trust, Bodø (NLSH), and in two surrounding municipalities, including 30 employed participants who will be followed for 10-weeks. The new intervention and pathway, CoreDISTparticipation, builds on GroupCoreDIST, which is previously found effective short and long term compared to standard care. CoreDISTparticipation consists of three phases: a) at the MS-OP clinic, in addition to the regular consultations, the patient will have a structured digital conversation with the MS-nurse addressing work related issues and a session with a physiotherapist exploring possibilities for change in balance and walking; b) in the municipality, a physiotherapist will continue exploration of improvements, followed by four weeks of GroupCoreDIST for 60 minutes, 2 times per week supplemented with home exercise programs focusing on balance, walking and physical activity. The participants will have access to exercise programs on videos through an open website at Nord University to digitally support home training. To promote participation in employment, a structured digital meeting between each patient, the MS-nurse, the patient's employer, and the physiotherapist (who leads the group trainings) will take place in phase b; followed by phase c) which include four weeks of outdoor group based exercises and physical activity led by a physiotherapist, for 60 minutes, 2 times per week supplemented with the same home exercise programs as in phase b. Evaluation of employment and physical activity will be conducted using an evaluation form. The control group will receive usual consultations at the MS-OP clinic, as well as a session with a physiotherapist at the MS-OP clinic, exploring possibilities for change in balance and walking. In the municipality the control group will follow standard care (their usual follow-up). The research team will examine feasibility, preliminary between-group differences regarding balance, walking, physical activity level, health related quality of life and barriers in employment, as well as the users' experiences with participation in the CoreDISTparticipation.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Diagnosed with MS (Mc Donald's criteria), Expanded Disability Status Scale ≤3.5 (no disability-fully ambulatory with moderate disability), ≥18 years, being employed. By these criteria the study will include individuals most accessible for the intervention and who have the best prospects to maintain/improve balance, walking, physical activity and participation in employment.
Exclusion Criteria
- •Retired, pregnancy at enrolment, exacerbation within two weeks prior to enrolment and other serious conditions compromising balance, walking or work capacity.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
MS Work Difficulties Questionnaire-23
Time Frame: 10 week post-test
How frequently individuals with MS perceive psychological/cognitive (11 items)-, physical (8 items)- and external barriers (4 items) related to their current or most recent job, and is scored by a five point scale (best score 0). (Recently translated to Norwegian).
Six-Minutes Walk Test
Time Frame: 10 week post-test
Walking distance within six minutes
Secondary Outcomes
- Occupation(baseline)
- Trunk Impairment Scale Norwegian Version(10 weeks post-test)
- Mini Balance Evaluation Systems Test(10 weeks post-test)
- Force Platform(10 weeks post-test)
- Activity monitors outcome 1(10 weeks post-test)
- Activity monitors outcome 2(10 weeks post-test)
- European Quality of Life 5-Dimension-3 Level(10 weeks post-test)
- Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale-12(10 weeks post-test)
- Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale-29(10 weeks post-test)
- Weight(baseline)
- Height(baseline)
- age(baseline)
- Social status(baseline)
- Type of multiple sclerosis(baseline)
- Year of diagnosis multiple sclerosis(baseline)
- Medications(baseline)
- Expanded disability status scale(baseline)
- Percentage of work(10 weeks post-test)
- Length of education(baseline)