https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9097-9352
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Abstract
Purpose
Functional electrical stimulation (FES) can be effective in assisting physical and psychosocial difficulties experienced by people with spinal cord injury. Perceived benefits and barriers of the current and future use of FES within the wider spinal cord injury community is currently unknown. The main objective of this research was to explore the spinal cord injury community’s views of the use of FES to decrease disability in rehabilitation programmes.
Materials and methods
An online and paper questionnaire was distributed to people with spinal cord injury, health care professionals and researchers working in spinal cord injury settings in the United Kingdom.
Results
A total of 299 participants completed the survey (152 people with spinal cord injury, 141 health care professionals and 6 researchers). Common views between groups identified were: (1) FES can be beneficial in improving physical and psychosocial aspects and that (2) adequate support and training for FES application was provided to users. Barriers to FES use included a lack of staff time and training, financial cost and availability of the equipment. Sixty three percent of non-users felt they would use FES in the future if they had the opportunity.
Conclusions
Users’ views were important in identifying that FES application can be beneficial for people with spinal cord injury but also has some resourceful barriers. In order to increase use, future research should focus on reducing the cost of FES clinical service and also address implementation of awareness and training programmes within spinal units and community rehabilitation settings.
Users of functional electrical stimulation think that it is beneficial for improving physical and psychosocial limitations after spinal cord injury
Barriers to FES use include a lack of staff time and training, financial cost and availability of the equipment have been suggested by people with spinal cord injury and health care professionals
Education and implementation programs for health care professionals and people with spinal cord injury are now necessary to increase the awareness about functional electrical stimulation application
Reduction of FES cost could also increase its uptake in spinal cord injury clinical services
IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION
Acknowledgements
The authors thank all the participants who took part in this research. The authors thank all the coordinators at the different sites who distributed the questionnaires.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.