Client Perceptions of the Individual Packer Managing Fatigue Program: A Mixed-Method Evaluation.
Neda Alizadeh, Tanya L Packer, Sabrena Jaswal and 2 others
PMID 39086144WHAT IT FOUND
People with Parkinson's disease described a six-session individual videoconference fatigue program as feasible and helpful for rest, pacing, and communicating needs.
They wanted more Parkinson-specific content, flexible session length, and occupational therapist follow-up.
Key findings
01All 12 intervention-group participants completed feasibility questionnaires, and overall program feasibility was rated with mean item scores of 3 or higher out of 5, with helpfulness and skill training highest and tailoring and pace or duration lowest.
02Participants described the program as helpful for managing fatigue's impact through strategies such as rest, pacing, and communication, but most reported that fatigue severity did not decrease.
03Participants wanted more Parkinson-specific content, more tailored session pace and duration, and additional occupational therapist feedback or follow-up after the program.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Only 12 intervention-group participants were included, and no comparison group was analysed in this paper. The study evaluated client perceptions and feasibility, not effectiveness. It was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and videoconference delivery may have affected who could participate. The feasibility questionnaires were designed by the research team and were not psychometrically tested. Practitioner expertise and therapeutic alliance were not measured. Most participants were male, and none had received occupational therapy services before the study.
Declared interests
Author Packer is co-founder, with no financial interest, of Think Self-Management Inc, which distributes the Packer Managing Fatigue Program. The other authors declared no real or potential conflicts of interest. Funding was disclosed as support from the first author's PhD research, including the Abdulmajid Bader scholarship, Dalhousie School of Occupational Therapy PhD funding, a Scotia Scholars Award, a Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship, and LSVT Global Student Grants.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that the program reduces Parkinson's fatigue severity. Participants rated the program feasible and helpful for managing fatigue's impact, but most reported that fatigue severity did not decrease, and the study did not test effectiveness.