Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 1, 2025
Activity-based Training on a Treadmill with Spinal Cord Injured Wistar Rats
Published on: January 16, 2019
Tracking activity-based therapy for people living with spinal cord injury or disease: insights gained through focus
Anita Kaiser1,2,3, James Sessford2, Katherine Chan2
1Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Purpose:
The development of a tool to track participation in activity-based therapy (ABT) for people with spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D) was identified as a priority of the Canadian ABT Community of Practice. The objective of this study was to understand multi-stakeholder perspectives on tracking ABT participation across the continuum of care.
Materials And Methods:
Forty-eight individuals from six stakeholder groups (persons living with SCI/D; hospital therapists; community trainers; administrators; researchers; and funders, advocates and policy experts) were recruited to participate in focus group interviews. Participants were asked open-ended questions concerning the importance of and parameters around tracking ABT. Transcripts were analyzed using conventional content analysis.
Results:
Themes reflected the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of tracking ABT. Participants described the importance of involving hospital therapists, community trainers and individuals with SCI/D in tracking ABT to capture both subjective and objective parameters across the continuum of care and injury trajectory. Digital tracking tools were favoured, although paper-based versions were regarded as a necessity in some circumstances.
Conclusions:
Findings highlighted the importance of tracking ABT participation for individuals with SCI/D. The information may guide the development of ABT practice guidelines and support the implementation of ABT in Canada.
