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The following is a summary of “Effect of patient-centered empowerment program through telenursing on self-management in people with multiple sclerosis: a double-blinded randomized clinical trial,” published in the April 2025 issue of BMC Neurology by Bayat et al. 

Multiple sclerosis (MS) causes caregiving challenges, making patient empowerment based on real needs essential for better self-management. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the impact of a patient-centered empowerment program through telenursing on self-management in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). 

They conducted a double-blinded, randomized clinical trial on 90 PwMS from an MS Society using convenience sampling with random block allocation. Inclusion criteria were age 18–60, MS for at least 6 months, ability to use a phone and smartphone, and no other illnesses or cognitive/psychological disorders. Exclusions included fatigue, unwillingness, or hospitalization. Tools used were a demographic questionnaire and the Multiple Sclerosis Self-Management Scale. The empowerment program included 5 telenursing sessions over 4 weeks, adjusted per individual’s needs. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. 

The results showed that data from 90 PwMS were analyzed, with most participants being female (62.2%) and married (55.6%). No significant differences were found in self-management and subscale scores between groups before the intervention (P > 0.05). After the intervention, the intervention group had higher self-management scores (91.62 ± 11.14 vs. 88.51 ± 11.27) and significant improvements in MS Knowledge and Information (15.82 ± 1.28 vs. 14.89 ± 2.4) and Health Maintenance Behavior (15.27 ± 2.87 vs. 14.84 ± 3.37) (P < 0.05). The effect size was medium (Cohen’s d = 0.56). 

Investigators found that empowering PwMS through telenursing improved self-management. They recommended prioritizing patient empowerment based on individual needs in chronic disease care. 

Source: bmcneurol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12883-025-04148-x