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The outcomes of using self-study modules in energy conservation education for people with multiple sclerosis

Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, IL

Marcia Finlayson

Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL

Virgil Mathiowetz

Program in Occupational Therapy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Hua Yun Chen

Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

Objective: To determine whether there were any differences in the outcomes of individuals with multiple sclerosis who attended all six sessions of an energy conservation education programme compared with people who missed a session and received a self-study module.

Design: Secondary analysis of data from two naturally occurring groups emerging from a randomized control trial-compliers who received the intervention as intended (group 1) and noncompliers who received a modified intervention with self-study modules (group 2).

Setting: Community settings in Chicago, Illinois and Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

Participants: Ninety-two community-dwelling people with multiple sclerosis who were participating in an energy conservation education programme.

Intervention: Energy conservation education groups based on the ‘Managing Fatigue’ programme, which were facilitated by an occupational therapist. Self-study modules were sent to participants who missed a session.

Outcome measures: Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS), Self-Efficacy for Performing Energy Conservation Strategies Assessment, Energy Conservation Strategies Survey (ECSS), six subscales from the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36).

Results: When comparing individuals who attended all six sessions with individuals who missed one or more sessions and received a self-study module, no significant differences were found after adjusting for multiple comparisons.

Conclusions: Participants who used the self-study modules because they missed sessions of the Managing Fatigue programme experienced benefits from the course similar to those experienced by participants who fully complied with the intervention as intended. A new prospective study to validate the findings of this secondary analysis is required.

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