Key Outcomes for a Vocational Rehabilitation Intervention for People With Multiple Sclerosis: A Nominal Group...

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation medicine
• Occupational health
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Vocational rehabilitation (VR) interventions aim to improve independence and employment outcomes for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS).
• Evaluating VR effectiveness is challenging due to the personalized nature of interventions and diverse health/employment outcomes.
• Patient perspectives are crucial for understanding the impact of VR on job retention in MS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and prioritize key outcomes of job retention VR interventions from the perspective of individuals with MS.
• To inform the development of more effective and patient-centered VR strategies for MS.

Main Methods:

• A nominal group technique (NGT) was employed with 10 participants with MS.
• Participants engaged in idea generation, discussion, and ranking of VR outcomes.
• Data were collected via Microsoft Teams and Forms, and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• Nine prioritized outcomes were identified, grouped into four themes: Employer support and collaboration, Empowerment, Symptom management and progression, and Professional well-being and performance.
• Employer support and symptom management emerged as the most critical outcomes.
• Patient and public involvement was integral throughout the study design and execution.

Conclusions:

• Enhanced employer support and effective symptom management are vital for successful job retention and improved work performance in individuals with MS.
• Future research should focus on developing valid and sensitive outcome measures for VR interventions in MS.
• There is a need to explore the feasibility of collecting these identified outcomes to track VR's long-term impact on employment.