From Injury to Inclusion: Evidence From the International Spinal Cord Injury Survey (InSCI)

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The International Spinal Cord Injury Community Survey (InSCI) is a large-scale, international, cross-sectional survey collecting data on the lived experiences of individuals with spinal cord injury/disease (SCI/D).
• InSCI includes extensive data from multiple waves, encompassing a growing number of participants and countries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically map the research landscape stemming from the InSCI dataset.
• To identify the thematic focus and contributions of InSCI-based publications.
• To pinpoint existing knowledge gaps within the SCI/D research literature.

Main Methods:

• A structured evidence map was created for peer-reviewed publications derived from InSCI data.
• Publications were systematically tracked and categorized into seven domains based on the International Perspectives on Spinal Cord Injury (IPSCI) framework.
• Data from Wave 1 (2017-2019) and Wave 2 (2022-2024) of InSCI were included.

Main Results:

• As of April 2026, 117 publications have emerged from InSCI, covering diverse SCI/D topics.
• The most frequent research areas include healthcare needs, epidemiology, enabling environments, and education/employment.
• Publications reveal significant cross-country variations in quality of life, healthcare access, unmet needs, environmental barriers, and employment outcomes for individuals with SCI/D.

Conclusions:

• InSCI provides a valuable and expanding international dataset for understanding SCI/D lived experiences.
• While publication output is substantial across multiple domains, critical research gaps persist.
• Key areas needing further investigation include equity, gender, education, younger populations, and comparisons with the general population.