Activity and participation after spinal cord injury: State-of-the-art report

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Activity and participation after spinal cord
injury State-of-the-art report

• Philip M. Ullrich, PhD Ann M. Spungen, EdD
  Darryn Atkinson, PT Charles H. Bombardier, PhD
  Yuying Chen, MD, PhD Norma A. Erosa, MS Shirley
  Groer, PhD Lisa Ottomanelli, PhD David S.
  Tulsky, PhD

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• Study Aim
• Summarize expert recommendations for researchers
  measuring activity and participation among
  persons with spinal cord injuries and disorders
  (SCI/D).
• Relevance
• Activity and participation are critical outcomes
  for persons with SCI/D but existing measurement
  tools have significant limitations.
• Future research could benefit from a synthesis of
  expert opinion on activity and participation
  measurement and research recommendations.

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Methods

• In January 2010, SCI/D rehabilitation researchers
  and clinicians participated in State-of-the-Art
  Conference on Outcome Measures in Rehabilitation.
  
• Using their knowledge base and expert opinion,
  participants formulated recommendations for
  researchers.
• Participants evaluated instruments currently
  being used or developed to measure outcomes after
  SCI/D.

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Results

• Measures of activity and participation and
  factors influencing activity and participation
  are reviewed and critiqued.
• Gaps in available measures are described,
  measures in development are discussed, and
  suggestions for future research are made.

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Conclusions

• Investigators should become aware of the flaws in
  available measures in order to make informed
  decisions for specific projects.
• Many measures are available that can serve as
  indices of activity, participation, and
  influential factors until the next generation of
  instruments is developed and disseminated.