The telephone is an effective method for engaging participants in and extending the reach of care for individuals with MS, according to a study of 163 adults with MS, aged 25 to 76 years, and with fatigue, chronic pain, and/or moderate depressive symptoms. Patients were randomized to either a telephone-delivered self-management intervention (T-SM) or a telephone-delivered MS education intervention (T-ED). Researchers found:
• 58% of those in the T-SM group and 46% of those in the T-ED group had a > 50% reduction in 1 or more symptoms; a difference that was not statistically significant.
• Participants in both groups significantly improved from baseline to post-treatment in primary and secondary outcome measures.
• T-SM participants reported significantly higher treatment satisfaction and therapeutic alliance and greater improvements in activation, positive affect, and social roles.
• Improvements were generally maintained at 6 and 12 months.
Citation: Ehde DM, Elzea JL, Verrall AM, Gibbons LE, Smith A, Amtmann D. Efficacy of a telephone-delivered self-management intervention for persons with multiple sclerosis: a randomized controlled trial with a one-year follow-up. [Published online ahead of print August 5, 2015]. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2015.07.015.