Relationship of patient characteristics and inpatient rehabilitation services to 5-year outcomes following spinal cord injury: A follow up of the SCIRehab project

This study examined how patient characteristics and the amount of treatment during spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation relate to outcomes five years after the injury. The study found that patient characteristics are strong predictors of outcomes at 5 years. More physical therapy and therapeutic recreation were positive at 1 year, less so at 5 years. Increased time with psychology and social work predicted greater depressive symptoms 5 years post-injury. Greater clinician experience was a positive predictor at both 1 and 5 years.

• 1
  Patient characteristics were strong predictors of outcomes 5-years post-injury, although several therapeutic variables added to the predictability of some of the outcomes.
• 2
  More time spent with psychology and social work/case management predicted greater depressive symptomatology 5-years post-injury.
• 3
  Greater time spent in physical therapy and therapeutic recreation were positive predictors of both 1- and 5-year outcomes.