Spaced presentation of drug information and risk awareness in MS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The effect of spaced presentation of treatment information on recall and understanding of risk relating to medication in MS.
IRAS ID
144632
Contact name
Michele Burns
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Holloway, University of London
Research summary
Several studies document weak risk awareness in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), yet few studies explore strategies that might improve risk awareness in this population. Given the severe risk profiles of newer MS medications, it is especially important to develop clinically useful strategies that improve risk awareness. This project will explore whether presentation format (spaced format or standard format) of prospective treatment information influences understanding and recall of risk information among patients with MS. Of particular interest is whether spaced presentation (i.e. the presentation of learning trials over time, interspersed with breaks) can lead to improved risk awareness in individuals with MS. A group of participants with multiple sclerosis (MS) will be recruited from London-based MS clinics and a healthy control (HC) group will be recruited from the general public. Three sets of ‘faux’ drug treatment information will be constructed, each with a standard presentation, spaced presentation, and spaced presentation with time-delay version. All participants will be presented with treatment information in standard, standard with time-delay, and spaced format and immediate recall as well as understanding of this information will be assessed. In addition, statistical reasoning ability (SRA), cognition, fatigue and mood-state will be measured using a number of questionnaires and neuropsychological tests. It is expected that the MS group will have weaker risk awareness (understanding & recall) relative to the control group, that spaced presentation will lead to improved risk understanding & recall in both groups, and that this benefit of spaced presentation will be greatest in the MS group. Cognitive function, mood and fatigue are expected to correlate with risk awareness.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/EM/0153
Date of REC Opinion
2 Apr 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion