Fall prevention education for people with multiple sclerosis: a randomized clinical trial

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Health Education
• Patient Outcomes

Background:

• Online spaced education (OSE) is known to improve knowledge retention and behavior change in healthcare professionals but lacks evidence in patient education.
• Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients often face challenges with knowledge retention and behavior modification, impacting their health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of educational brochures versus OSE in enhancing knowledge retention among individuals with MS.
• To evaluate the impact of these educational methods on fall prevention and outcomes in the MS population.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 230 individuals with MS, assigned to either an educational brochure or OSE group for 12 weeks.
• The OSE group received regular multiple-choice tests on fall prevention. Knowledge retention, behavior change, and fall incidence were assessed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months.

Main Results:

• Knowledge retention and participant satisfaction were comparable between the OSE and brochure groups.
• A significant reduction in fall rate was observed in the OSE group, decreasing from 0.60 to 0.27 at 6 months (P < 0.001).
• Behavior change was noted in both educational intervention groups.

Conclusions:

• Both educational methods led to significant improvements in fall rate outcomes for individuals with MS, with no statistically significant difference between the groups.
• OSE demonstrated a notable impact on reducing fall incidence, suggesting its value in managing patient outcomes.
• Participant satisfaction and knowledge retention were similar across both educational approaches.