Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

This research is focused on supporting the increased uptake and use of Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) among people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) in routine clinical care through the development of an online toolkit for PwMS, MS clinicians, and MBI implementors. PwMS commonly highlight emotional wellness as a priority but note it's often overlooked by their healthcare providers (HCPs). Our research has shown that MBIs are acceptable and effective treatments for stress, anxiety, depression, and fatigue in PwMS; accessibility is improved by making resources available online. While considerable evidence exists on the utility of MBIs for PwMS, toolkits disseminating this information don't; thus, there is an evidence-to-treatment gap that must be addressed. Current dissemination has largely been in passive, academic formatting. Many HCPs don't know how to access or use MBIs in the care of PwMS; we aim to make it easy to do so and facilitate implementation, uptake and safe use. Thus, our current project aims to deliver a suite of user-friendly multimedia materials tailored to the needs and preferences of PwMS and providers. This project is the first knowledge translation initiative worldwide to target MBI implementation in PwMS. The development of these tools will be undertaken using co-design process. Our research is founded in an integrated knowledge translation (iKT) model, with our broad range of iKT panel members constituting PwMS, care partners, MBI instructors, MS HCPs, family physicians, health service leaders, and mixed-methods researchers. This panel will inform the development of the toolkit and its implementation into clinical practice via the MSBEST clinical best practices website. The integration of a patient-informed, web-based toolkit outlining how to describe, implement, and use MBIs in practice will improve health outcomes and enhance patient experience, addressing their need for accessible, acceptable, and effective emotional wellness strategies