Spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation: systematic analysis of communication from the biopsychosocial perspective

Abstract

Purpose: Communication is powerful predictor of health-related quality of life and overall well-being, yet its role in promoting rehabilitation outcomes in spinal cord injury (SCI) is rarely mentioned. This article systematically analyzes and synthesizes literature from multiple disciplines according to a biopsychosocial perspective, providing an evidence base for clinical practice and clear direction for future research. Method: Systematic literature review and analysis, incorporating mapping to International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) codes. Results: In total 4338 entries were retrieved from CINAHL, PsychInfo, Medline, PubMed and SpeechBite databases for the period 1990–2014. A total of 115 treatment and observational studies (quantitative and qualitative) detailed aspects of communication according to structure, function, activity, participation and environmental factors; evident of the complex interactions between communicative function with daily living after SCI. Conclusions: Communication is a relative strength in SCI, key to empowerment, independence, social interaction, and well-being, yet its potential to enhance SCI rehabilitation outcomes remains largely underexplored and untapped. Through elucidating interactions between communication and functioning, the adapted ICF framework affords clinicians and researchers insight into areas of intervention most likely to result in widespread gains. Conscious consideration should be given to the role of communication, within an integrative, strengths-based, multidisciplinary approach to clinical practice and future research.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• Communication fosters empowerment, independence and greater participation in life roles; recognized as a powerful predictor of health-related quality of life and overall well-being.

• The ICF framework elucidates influences to communicative function, and components which are influenced by communication, providing valuable insight for clinicians and researchers.

• Therapeutic and research endeavors guided by existing ICF core sets are at risk of failing to consider communication, thereby limiting rehabilitation outcomes.

• Tapping the potential of communication as a relative strength within SCI rehabilitation holds considerable promise, within integrative, strengths-based, multidisciplinary approaches to clinical practice and future research.

• Communication
• ICF
• quality of life
• spinal cord injury
• strengths-based practice

Declaration of interest

The author reports no conflicts of interest.