Perceptions of issues associated with the maintenance and improvement of long-term health in people with SCI

Qualitative design using focus groups.

To explore the perceptions of people with SCI and their caregivers about information needs and service delivery options that may assist them to maintain or improve their long-term health.

Province wide project in Alberta, Canada.

Eight focus groups were conducted; five with community dwelling people with SCI and three with unpaid caregivers (family and friends). Content analysis was used to identify categories and themes arising from the data.

The findings from the study are broader than the original objective to explore information needs and service delivery options to promote long-term health. The participants more globally discussed factors that contribute to or provide barriers to their long-term health. Those factors are captured in five categories, including readiness, information pathways, community health care, health promotion, and contextual factors. A framework that illustrates the relationships between categories was constructed.

The framework identifies areas to target in programmes designed to reduce or prevent secondary conditions in people with SCI.

This study was funded by the Alberta Paraplegic Foundation and the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation.