Starting a new conversation: Engaging Veterans with spinal cord injury in discussions of what function means to them, the barriers/facilitators they encounter, and the adaptations they use to optimize function.
Jennifer N Hill, Salva Balbale, Keshonna Lones and 1 others
PMID 27424945WHAT IT FOUND
Nine Veterans with spinal cord injury described function as doing what they want and being independent.
They said tools, transportation, therapy and caregivers helped; wheelchairs and inaccessible surfaces hindered; they used creative adaptations.
Key findings
01Participants defined function as normalcy, independence, and doing daily activities.
02Facilitators to function included helpful tools, transportation, therapy, and caregivers.
03Barriers included wheelchairs and inaccessible community or hospital surfaces, and participants used adaptations to overcome barriers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
18 Veterans were recruited, but only 9 completed the study. The sample was a convenience sample of Veterans with spinal cord injury, so the themes may not represent all people with spinal cord injury. Participants were older, with an average age of 64 years, and had been injured for an average of 22 years, so views may differ from younger Veterans or those with newer injuries. The authors said the results are preliminary and need additional research. Participants may have understood the task or handled the camera differently.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as evidence that any tool, therapy, or adaptation improves function. The study described what nine Veterans with long-standing spinal cord injury said, and the authors called the results preliminary.