Lived experience of people with sci
The study entitled Understanding How to Improve the Lived Experience of Coping and Managing Health and Function among People with Spinal Cord Injury brings together a team of multidisciplinary researchers from Simon Fraser University (Department of Gerontology) and University of British Columbia (Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy). The project is funded by the Praxis Institute.
The research project focused on the following research questions:
- What are the major characteristics and aspects of coping and managing of health and functioning among community-dwelling individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI)?
- What modifiable social, environmental, and structural factors do community-dwelling individuals with SCI identify as having an effect on their health management and subsequent quality of life?
The questions were addressed through two scoping reviews and qualitative semi-structured interviews.
- Scoping Review of Coping and Managing of Health & Functioning with SCI
- Scoping Review of Modifiable Socio-structural and Environmental Factors that Impact the Health and Quality of Life of People with Spinal Cord Injury: A Scoping Review
- Semi-Structured Interviews to explore the Lived Experiences of People with Spinal Cord Injury
- The project engaged with thirty community-dwelling persons living with spinal cord injury across British Columbia from both urban and rural areas. The semi-structured interviews were conducted virtually by two team members.
Community Forum
The findings from the interviews were discussed the Community Forum that brought together healthcare professionals, policy makers, and people with lived experience. The recommendations for improvements focused on equipment and assistive technology, financial supports, healthcare, access to information, community of programs and services, physical environment, and social environment.
Principal Investigator: Habib Chaudhury, Professor, Department of Gerontology, Simon Fraser University
Co-Investigator: Ben W. Mortenson, Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia.
The findings of this project can be found in this report here.