SPECIAL INTEREST REPORT PLATFORM PRESENTATION

SPINAL CORD INJURY ALBERTA EDUCATION INITIATIVE. May L^1,2, Muirhead S², Froese L², Ashworth N^1,2; ¹University of Alberta, Edmonton Canada. ²Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Edmonton Canada

PURPOSE: This provincial education initiative targets persons with spinal cord injury (SCI), caregivers and health care providers, including physical therapists. A provincial vision of SCI services, survey of the management of clients with SCI by community physicians, service accreditation activities and research evaluation of the current inpatient education program exemplified the need to enhance the education services. RELEVANCE: The economic and social impact of SCI is significant. Sustained successful management of the person with SCI in the community is dependent on a number of factors. A key factor is knowledgeable health care providers, caregivers and persons with SCI. Education is essential to community re-integration, prevention of secondary conditions and maintenance of physical and emotional well-being. DESCRIPTION: A thorough review of our current education services and materials was conducted. As well, available education materials from other SCI rehabilitation programs were reviewed. Using a best practice framework, focus groups were conducted with persons with SCI, caregivers and community health care providers including physical therapists, occupational therapists and nurses to determine their perspectives on education needs and delivery methods. Subsequently we updated and developed new material for the SCI education manual given to all patients and their families at the time of acute rehabilitation. This manual has also been distributed to the home care offices throughout the province. An interactive computer CD of key education topics was developed and is given to patients upon admission to rehabilitation. This computer based resource is also available through a link on the website of the Canadian Paraplegic Association. All activities were guided by the Steering Committee with representation from acute care trauma centres, rehabilitation programs, community care and the Canadian Paraplegic Association. EVALUATION: A survey of patients with respect to the written and computer based material has yielded positive responses. Community health care providers have expressed the importance of collaboration of all stakeholders and need for access to consistent education materials. The multidisciplinary teams of the two SCI rehabilitation programs have been supportive of this initiative and the inpatient class schedule and content has been updated and modified collaboratively to provide consistency across the province. The revised education classes have commenced this fall. Scenarios were developed for use in problem based learning (PBL) activities and the positive feedback from patients and clinicians involved in a recent pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of incorporating PBL within the education program. We plan to further evaluate the education program in a research study that will include long term follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The provision of education requires an integrated model that respects the individual and collective needs of key stakeholders. Education service delivery needs to be multi-faceted and consistency of information and ease of access is particularly important. IMPLICATIONS: Physical therapists are among the stakeholders who are involved in SCI education delivery as well as knowledge utilization to provide optimum service across the continuum of care. The potential impact of education service delivery as part of physical therapy practice should not be underestimated. KEYWORDS: health education, service delivery, continuum of care. FUNDING ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This project was funded by the Alberta Paraplegic Foundation and the Glenrose Hospital Foundation. CONTACT: laura.may@ualberta.ca

ETHICS COMMITTEE: Health Research Ethics Board – Panel B University of Alberta