The feasibility of an online lifestyle intervention for people with Multiple Sclerosis

INTERVENTION: This is an online lifestyle education intervention. The course takes place modularly (6 modules) with key themes in each module: diet, physical activity, vitamin D and sunlight, stress, family incidence, final motivation. Each module contains narrated videos and animations, images with text, polls and quizzes. Modules are self‐paced by participants, and participants can start and stop the modules at any time. Each module takes approximately 30 to 60 minutes to complete and will have access to all the modules for the extent of the 6 week study. The course is based upon the existing Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis 7‐step program, which is currently only taught face‐to‐face. The online course content was designed by a Professor within epidemiology, with many years experience living with and researching on Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and a PhD candidate in epidemiology. The content was adapted from both the face‐to‐face course and the 7‐step course book (3rd edition). There is peer‐to‐peer (p2p) communication in the course through forums. This allows for experiential learning on top of the formal modular courses, which ideally replicates the experience that occurs within the face‐to‐face course. Analytics of participant access to the course and engagement with the course will be measured using HotJar tool, which provides traffic data through the intervention. CONDITION: multiple sclerosis; ; multiple sclerosis Neurological ‐ Multiple sclerosis PRIMARY OUTCOME: Feasibility, which is >40% of participants in the intervention arm, and >25% in the control arm complete 75% of the modules. These data will be measured by website analytics tool Hotjar, which provides data on traffic and engagement. [Feasibility end‐point will be analysed at 8 weeks post‐intervention commencement. ] SECONDARY OUTCOME: Feasibility (qualitative): to explore the experiences of PwMS with the online course and understand what components of the online course worked well and what did not. This outcome will be assessed via semi‐structured telephone interviews with participants. [Secondary end‐point will be analysed post‐intervention. The timing of this secondary endpoint is dependent on availability of participants and the speed at which these semi‐structured telephone interviews are able to be completed. It is anticipated these data will be collected 8‐11 weeks post‐intervention commencement. ] Quantitative evaluation: participants will be requested to complete a 7‐point Likert scale survey (non‐validated) relating to elements of the intervention such as: enjoyability e.g. did you enjoy the course; accessibility e.g. were specific elements of the course an impediment to your ability to access this course in relation to your MS; usability e.g. was it easy to navigate the course and use all the functions within the intervention. These outcomes are all part of a single, composite outcomes. [This end‐point will be analysed at 8 weeks post‐intervention commencement. ] INCLUSION CRITERIA: MS diagnosed by a physician. Lives in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA or UK. Internet connection.