The Feasibility of a Web-Based Educational Lifestyle Program for People With Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Chronic Disease Management
• Multiple Sclerosis Therapeutics

Background:

• Modifiable lifestyle factors are crucial for self-management in multiple sclerosis (MS).
• Current MS self-management programs often rely on in-person delivery, limiting accessibility.
• The internet offers a promising platform for delivering effective self-management programs to individuals with MS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of a digitalized, educational lifestyle self-management program for people with MS.
• To evaluate the acceptability, accessibility, learnability, and desirability of a web-based program.

Main Methods:

• A 6-week randomized controlled trial comparing a tailored web-based program to standard care.
• Participants with MS were recruited internationally and blinded to allocation.
• Primary outcome: program acceptability (module completion rate); Secondary outcomes: participant-reported accessibility, learnability, and desirability.

Main Results:

• Completion rates exceeded targets: 60% (9/15) in the intervention arm and 50% (8/16) in the standard care arm completed 100% of the course.
• These results met the a priori feasibility targets (>40% intervention, >25% control).

Conclusions:

• A web-based educational lifestyle program is a feasible method for delivering content to people with MS.
• The program's feasibility supports further evaluation in a larger randomized controlled trial.
• Digital delivery of MS self-management education is a viable and promising approach.