Outcomes of importance to people with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and stroke following a falls prevention intervention: a qualitative study to inform a core outcome set

Purpose: Falls are a major issue for people with neurological conditions, and the evaluation of falls prevention interventions is of high priority. To date, the views of patient groups regarding outcomes of importance have been largely overlooked. The purpose of this study was to explore outcomes of interest among people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and stroke upon completion of falls prevention interventions to inform the development of a core outcome set (COS). Materials and methods: Five online focus groups and one semi-structured interview were conducted among people with PD (n = 10), MS (n = 7), and post-stroke (n = 3), one of whom also had PD. Transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Four themes were developed; (1) Fall events are not homogeneous, (2) Exercise-based programmes are beneficial but falls services are not meeting user needs, (3) Programme success beyond the reduction in falls, and (4) Acquisition of skills to self-manage falls beyond the life of the programme. Conclusions: This study presents new perspectives across patient groups regarding important outcomes upon completion of falls prevention interventions. Taken together with the findings of a literature review, this data will inform the development of a COS.Implications for rehabilitation People with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and stroke consider the success of a falls prevention intervention to be dependent on improvements across a wide range of outcomes. The design and implementation of falls prevention interventions should align with patient preferences. Clinicians and researchers should consider the use of multidomain interventions to facilitate improvements in the desired outcomes of patients.