Communicating Standing and Walking Data after Spinal Cord Injury: A Patient-Engaged, Qualitative Study

Background: The Standing and Walking Assessment Tool has been implemented by physical therapists across Canada, but there is no standardized communication tool to inform inpatients living with spinal cord injury (SCI) about their standing and walking ability. Objectives: To identify how inpatients with SCI are currently receiving feedback on their standing and walking ability, and to determine if and how they would like to receive information on their standing and walking. Methods: Ontario's Patient Engagement Framework informed study protocol development. Inpatients with SCI were recruited from a rehabilitation centre in Canada. Purposeful sampling considering severity of SCI and sex was adopted. Three to four months following discharge from inpatient rehabilitation, a semi-structured interview was conducted to explore participants' experiences and preferences regarding feedback on standing and walking ability during inpatient SCI rehabilitation. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. A conventional content analysis was completed. Results: Fifteen individuals with SCI (5 female, 10 male) participated. Four themes emerged from the transcripts: (1) motivation for standing and walking, (2) current standing and walking practice, (3) participant preferences for feedback on standing and walking ability, and (4) perceptions of preexisting tools. Conclusion: Information on standing and walking ability was shared with inpatients with SCI in a variety of ways. Participants identified various preferences for the nature, format, and frequency of feedback concerning standing and walking ability during inpatient rehabilitation, which suggests the need for an individualized approach to communicating this information.