Recovery Insights Following Spinal Cord Injury: A Consumer's Perspective

The individual with spinal cord injury is the most important member of the interdisciplinary team of health care professionals who provide care and researchers who progress treatments. The consumer voice is critical to understanding priorities and preferences. A literature search was conducted to identify consumer-level contribution, yielding 68 articles. Functional recovery priorities of motor and bladder/bowel function were universal. Priorities of secondary complications mirrored functional recovery, highlighting the impact that mitigating secondary complications can have on functional recovery. Imbedded within interventional preferences are those priorities, balanced between risks and benefits. Improving independence was consistently weighed against fear of functional decline.