The development of an outcome measures toolkit for spinal cord injury rehabilitation

Abstract

Background. Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a complex medical condition that can be difficult to monitor. Purpose. This study aimed to establish a common set of validated outcome measures specifically for SCI clinical practice. Method. In a three-round online Delphi process, experts in SCI care across Canada suggested and ranked outcome measures for clinical practice. The facilitators provided feedback between rounds and determined if consensus (at least 75% agreement) was reached on a single outcome measure per clinical area. Findings. One hundred and forty-eight outcome measures were initially considered for inclusion. After three rounds, consensus was reached for 23 out of 30 clinical areas. In the remaining seven, more than one outcome measure was recommended. The final toolkit comprises 33 outcome measures with sufficient measurement properties for use with a SCI population. Implications. An outcome measures toolkit validated specifically for SCI should lead to improved identification of best practice and enable clinicians to monitor client progress effectively.