"The Other Thousand Hours": A Spinal Cord Injury Self-Management Program Qualitative Analysis

People with spinal cord injury experience secondary health conditions (SHCs) at a high rate which impacts life expectancy and functional performance. Self-management (SM) is an evidence-based approach to reduce the negative effects of SHCs, but prior SM programs have not been successful for the spinal cord injury (SCI) population. We sought to describe the experiences of participants completing a group-based telehealth program that is tailored to the SCI population: The Spinal Cord Injury Self-Management (SCISM) Program. We conducted interviews using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis to examine participants' experiences. Twenty-two participants completed the interviews. Four themes ("A Sense of Community," "Being Held Accountable," "I'm Still Learning," and "Being Proactive Instead of Reactive") emerged. People with SCI require continued support throughout the chronic stage of SCI particularly at the community level to address mental health as well as the learning and application of SM skills through tailored interventions that foster community and accountability. "The Other Thousand Hours": Understanding How People Felt About Participating in the Spinal Cord Injury Self-Management ProgramPeople with spinal cord injury (SCI) experience secondary medical conditions because of their injuries that impact their health and quality of life. Self-management is a way to reduce these medical conditions, but prior self-management programs have not been well-liked or successful for people with SCI. We wanted to understand the experiences of people with SCI who completed a tailored group self-management program virtually, called the Spinal Cord Injury Self-Management (SCISM) Program. Twenty-two participants completed semi-structured interviews after completing the program, and we analyzed them. Four themes were generated: A Sense of Community, Being Held Accountable, I'm Still Learning, and Being Proactive instead of Reactive. We found that people with SCI likely need more self-management and mental health support after going home from the hospital through community and accountability.