Around 86,000 Canadians live with spinal cord injury (SCI), a complex condition that leads to serious and costly healthcare challenges. Pressure injury (PI) is a common and potentially life threatening complication of SCI, and over 90 percent of people with SCI will experience at least one PI in their lifetime. Persons with PI and SCI require ongoing care from a range of healthcare providers and may experience mobility challenges, mental health concerns, and social isolation. While there is growing knowledge about how to manage PIs, little is known about the experiences of persons with SCI. Through our previous research, we have learned about how people with SCI experience PI and the challenges faced when accessing healthcare. This Reach award will allow us to raise awareness of these issues and to share information that can be used to improve healthcare services. Our team plans to work together to: 1) Create and share educational resources (e.g. videos, pamphlets, and workshops) that raise awareness of PI in SCI; 2) Share lived experiences and best practices; and 3) Provide an opportunity for ongoing learning that supports improvements and innovations in care.
Team members: Nassim Adhami (UNBC – School of Nursing); Shayna Dolan (UNBC – School of Nursing); Kiran Ghag (UNBC – School of Nursing); John Chernesky (Praxis – Spinal Cord Institute); Spring Hawes; Scott Donia (Praxis – Spinal Cord Institute); Nelly Oelke (UBC – Okanagan); Shannon Freeman (UNBC – School of Nursing); Nicola Waters (Thompson Rivers University); John Cobb (Vancouver General Hospital).