To understand participant and physical therapist (PT) satisfaction with virtual delivery of a multiple sclerosis (MS) rehabilitation research intervention.

Rehabilitation interventions in people with MS are usually in-person, although virtual delivery can improve access and relevance to patient’s daily lives. We planned a randomized controlled trial of a standardized physical therapy intervention for walking aid selection, fitting and training, (Assistive Device Selection, Training and Education Program [ADSTEP]), to prevent falls in MS. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we transitioned to virtual delivery by video-teleconference.

ADSTEP, piloted as an in-person in-clinic program, consists of six 40-minute one-on-one sessions with a PT. We transitioned to virtual delivery to patients’ homes at the beginning of our full-scale randomized controlled trial. At intervention completion for each subject, we examined subject and PT satisfaction with virtual delivery using a nine-question survey. We analyzed survey responses and associations.

Forty-eight subjects completed ADSTEP delivered by four therapists; 46 subjects and all therapists completed the survey. For almost all session, subjects and therapists reported no difficulties seeing each other or following instructions, and all found the platform secure and private. 63% of subjects, a higher proportion of women than men (71% vs 50%) and more so for those with fewer falls in the past year (median 5 vs 12 falls), found the virtual visits as good as in-person sessions. 59% of subjects, a higher proportion of women than men (64% vs 50%) and more so for those with fewer falls in the past year (median 5 vs 8), preferred the virtual visits.

This study supports that PTs and people with MS find virtual delivery of a rehabilitation research intervention feasible and acceptable, with women and those who fall less often being more likely to find virtual visits as good as or preferable to in-person visits.