Planning and structuring spinal cord injury rehabilitation: the needs assessment checklist

The study aimed to evaluate the Needs Assessment Checklist (NAC) as a clinically appropriate assessment tool for use during spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation. Data were obtained during routine clinical assessments from 193 patients admitted to the National Spinal Injuries Centre, UK, from September 2007 to November 2009. Reliability analyses yielded high internal consistency coefficients (mean α = .889, SD .051), and the mean item internal validity correlation was .534 (SD .136). All subscales of the NAC were found to be highly significant to change between administrations (mean P <.001). Several differences were found on the NAC subscales with respect to gender, age, and mobility. Pain and psychological issues were associated with poorer rehabilitation outcomes. The NAC is demonstrated to be a clinically reliable assessment tool that can be used to structure rehabilitation progress by the generation of person-centered goals. The results highlight the importance of assessing psychological issues and pain during SCI rehabilitation.