Evaluating a pilot community-based self-management program for adults with spinal cord injury

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Public Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Spinal cord injury (SCI) presents lifelong challenges impacting physical, emotional, and social well-being.
• Community-based self-management programs are crucial for empowering individuals with SCI to navigate these challenges.
• Pilot programs are essential for evaluating novel interventions before wider implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the outcomes and participant perceptions of a novel, community-based self-management program tailored for adults with SCI.
• To identify key program components that contribute to participant satisfaction and perceived benefits.
• To gather feedback for refining future iterations of the SCI self-management program.

Main Methods:

• A program evaluation design utilizing retrospective data analysis from participants who completed the intervention.
• Data collection at baseline, post-intervention, and three-month follow-up using validated scales (UW-SES, SCI-SCS, CIQ) and employment status.
• Qualitative data from a post-program survey exploring participant satisfaction, perceived benefits, and suggestions for improvement.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant positive changes were observed in self-efficacy (UW-SES), secondary condition management (SCI-SCS), and community integration (CIQ) from baseline to follow-up.
• Self-efficacy demonstrated large effect size improvements post-intervention and medium effect size improvements at follow-up.
• Participants reported high satisfaction, valuing program customization, information delivery, and empowerment, while suggesting enhanced peer and psycho-emotional support.

Conclusions:

• The pilot SCI-specific self-management program demonstrated short-term efficacy, notably improving self-efficacy and receiving positive participant feedback.
• Key program elements contributing to success include tailored content, multi-modal delivery, and participant empowerment.
• Further research is warranted to establish long-term effectiveness, identify critical success factors, and assess cost-effectiveness for broader implementation.