Online Delivery of the Individualized Reduction of Falls Intervention for Persons With Multiple Sclerosis Who Use a Wheelchair or Scooter Full-time: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who use a wheelchair or scooter full-time fall frequently; however, fall prevention programming that meets the unique needs of this population is limited. This study examined the preliminary efficacy of a group-based online fall prevention and management intervention designed specifically for people with MS.

METHODS

This pre/post intervention, mixed-methods study included people with MS who used a wheelchair or scooter full-time, experienced at least 1 fall within the past year, and transferred independently or with minimal or moderate assistance. Participants engaged in a 6-week, online, individualized, multicomponent fall prevention and management intervention: Individualized Reduction of Falls-Online (iROLL-O).

RESULTS

No statistically significant change in fall incidence occurred after iROLL-O. However, fear of falling significantly decreased ( < .01) and knowledge related to fall management ( = .04) and fall prevention and management ( = .03) significantly improved. Qualitative results indicated that participants valued the opportunity for peer learning and iROLL-O's attention to diverse influences on fall risk.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first to examine the preliminary efficacy of an online fall prevention and management intervention for people with MS who use a wheelchair or scooter full-time. iROLL-O has promise, and participants found it valuable. Further efforts are needed to retain iROLL-O participants with lower confidence and functional mobility, and more research is needed to investigate the impact of the intervention on key outcomes over time.