Development & Initial Validation of a pan-Canadian Self-Management Program for Spinal Cord Injury

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The overall objective of this initiative is to develop a comprehensive online program that enables self-management in persons with SCI. This involves providing individuals with the skills needed to manage their own health, such as problem solving, information seeking, coping planning, etc. It is believed that these approaches have the potential to help individuals better manage or prevent secondary complications often associated with SCI (ie. urinary tract infections, pressure ulcers). This could ultimately lead to a more efficient use of healthcare resources.

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The initiative is currently exploring 4 priority areas: physical activity, bladder management, peer support, and bowel management. Through extensive consumer and subject matter expert consultations, initial prototypes are currently being created in these topic areas. The prototype development process is an iterative one, consisting of continuous cycles that involve creating prototypes, presenting them to persons with SCI/stakeholders to obtain feedback, and revising prototypes and designs based upon the feedback received. This process is expected to continue through 2016 with each priority area being explored and developed more fulsomely. At the end of this development cycle, a large-scale pan-Canadian trail will occur allowing participants from across the country to trail the resulting program and allow for testing and evaluation.

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It is expected that this initiative will grow continuously over the coming years with the goal of continually developing new materials and programs to suit the needs of those with SCI, and also integrating those self-management programs and initiatives already existing in the community into the current initiative in order to ensure a comprehensive and responsive program.