A 7-year follow-up of sacral anterior root stimulation for bladder control in patients with a spinal cord injury: quality of life and users' experiences

Background: Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) and Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) lead to unemployment, poverty, increased mortality and decreased quality of life in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Telemedicine is increasingly facilitating access to healthcare, in LMICs. This prospective cohort intervention study aims to investigate feasibility and acceptability of telerehabilitation to provide long-term follow-up of individuals with SCI and ABI, in Nepal, post-discharge from hospital. Methods: TERN was delivered by Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre, Nepal, in collaboration with University of Leeds, UK. A home visit connected participants to the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), through a specialised video conference system. The MDT performed a comprehensive assessment before recommending personalised interventions. Outcome measures assessed functional independence in performing activities of daily living, health-related quality of life and emotional disturbances using Modified Barthel Index, EuroQoL-5D, and Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale, respectively. A subset of participants was interviewed, exploring acceptability of telerehabilitation. Findings: Between January and December 2020, 97 participants with SCI (n = 82) and ABI (n = 15) were enrolled. After receiving telerehabilitation, significant improvement to self-reported functional independence (p<.001) and quality of life were found, (p<.001). Self-reported severity of depression, anxiety and stress significantly decreased (p<.001). Qualitative interviews (n = 18) revealed participants accepted telerehabilitation, they valued regular contact with professionals without costly, difficult travel. Interpretation: This is the first study to test telerehabilitation in Nepal. This approach can be safely delivered for long-term follow-up for individuals with SCI or ABI, overcoming geographical barriers to healthcare access. A larger-scale controlled study is required to further explore clinical and cost-effectiveness.

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Coping and Quality of Life in subjects with Spinal Cord Injury

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e572992012-489 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

A. Teixeira ◽

F. Machado

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Cord Injury

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The management of neurogenic bladder and quality of life in spinal cord injury

BJU International ◽

10.1111/j.1464-410x.2006.06395.x ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 98 (4) ◽

pp. 739-745 ◽

Cited By ~ 72

Author(s):

Ja Hyeon Ku

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Neurogenic Bladder ◽

Cord Injury

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Long term outcome of functional independence and quality of life after traumatic SCI in Germany

Spinal Cord ◽

10.1038/s41393-021-00659-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Florian Möller ◽

Rüdiger Rupp ◽

Norbert Weidner ◽

Christoph Gutenbrunner ◽

Yorck B. Kalke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Injury ◽

Functional Independence ◽

Term Outcome ◽

Long Term Outcome ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Over Time

Abstract Study design Multicenter observational study. Objective To describe the long-term outcome of functional independence and quality of life (QoL) for individuals with traumatic and ischemic SCI beyond the first year after injury. Setting A multicenter study in Germany. Methods Participants of the European multicenter study about spinal cord injury (EMSCI) of three German SCI centers were included and followed over time by the German spinal cord injury cohort study (GerSCI). Individuals’ most recent spinal cord independence measure (SCIM) scores assessed by a clinician were followed up by a self-report (SCIM-SR) and correlated to selected items of the WHO short survey of quality of life (WHO-QoL-BREF). Results Data for 359 individuals were obtained. The average time passed the last clinical SCIM examination was 81.47 (SD 51.70) months. In total, 187 of the 359 received questionnaires contained a completely evaluable SCIM-SR. SCIM scores remained stable with the exception of reported management of bladder and bowel resulting in a slight decrease of SCIM-SR of −2.45 points (SD 16.81). SCIM-SR scores showed a significant correlation with the selected items of the WHO-QoL-BREF (p < 0.01) with moderate to strong influence. Conclusion SCIM score stability over time suggests a successful transfer of acquired independence skills obtained during primary rehabilitation into the community setting paralleled by positively related QoL measurements but bladder and bowel management may need special attention.

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