Lam Chor Yin, Koljonen Paul Aarne, Yip Christopher Chun Hei, Su Ivan Yuen Wang, Hu Yong, Wong Yat Wa, Cheung Kenneth Man Chee
Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hospital Authority, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Front Neurol. 2022 Aug 3;13:941256. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2022.941256. eCollection 2022.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes significant and permanent disability affecting motor, sensory and autonomic functions. We conducted a survey on the priorities of functional recovery and preferences for community rehabilitation services in a cohort of Chinese individuals with SCI as well as the primary caregivers. The study also investigated their views on advanced technology and research.
An online platform with a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the opinions of clients that received services from an SCI follow-up clinic, a self-help association, or a non-government organization from 1 September-31 December 2021.
Eighty-seven subjects (74 individuals with SCI-48 tetraplegic, 26 paraplegic, and 13 caregivers) responded to the survey. Recovery of arm/hand function was given the highest priority among tetraplegics, followed by upper trunk/body strength and balance, and bladder/bowel function. Sexual function had a significant lower ranking than all priority areas except normal sensation ( < 0.05). Paraplegics viewed bladder/bowel function as the most important area of functional recovery, followed by walking movement, upper trunk/body strength and balance, elimination of chronic pain, and regaining normal sensation. There was no statistically significant difference among the top priority areas ( > 0.05). In contrast to previous studies done in Western populations, the study revealed that sexual function was ranked as the lowest by all 3 groups of respondents (tetraplegics, paraplegics, and caregivers). The majority of participants thought community rehabilitation services were inadequate. Most of the respondents were interested to try advanced technology which would facilitate their daily life and rehabilitation. About half of the individuals with SCI thought advance in technology and research could bring significant improvement in their quality of life in the coming 10 years.
This survey is the first study specifically looking into the recovery and rehabilitation priorities of a Chinese population of individuals with SCI. This is also the first study to investigate the priorities of the primary caregivers of SCI individuals. The findings are useful as a reference for planning of future research and provision of rehabilitation services for the SCI community locally and in other parts of China.
脊髓损伤（SCI）会导致严重且永久性的残疾，影响运动、感觉和自主神经功能。我们对一组中国脊髓损伤患者及其主要照料者的功能恢复优先事项和社区康复服务偏好进行了调查。该研究还调查了他们对先进技术和研究的看法。
使用一个带有自填问卷的在线平台，收集2021年9月1日至12月31日期间从脊髓损伤随访诊所、自助协会或非政府组织接受服务的客户的意见。
87名受试者（74名脊髓损伤患者——48名四肢瘫痪者、26名截瘫者和13名照料者）对调查做出了回应。在四肢瘫痪者中，恢复手臂/手部功能被列为最优先事项，其次是上躯干/身体力量和平衡，以及膀胱/肠道功能。性功能的排名显著低于除正常感觉外的所有优先领域（<0.05）。截瘫者认为膀胱/肠道功能是功能恢复最重要的领域，其次是行走运动、上躯干/身体力量和平衡、消除慢性疼痛以及恢复正常感觉。在最优先领域之间没有统计学上的显著差异（>0.05）。与之前在西方人群中进行的研究不同，该研究表明性功能在所有三组受访者（四肢瘫痪者、截瘫者和照料者）中排名最低。大多数参与者认为社区康复服务不足。大多数受访者有兴趣尝试能便利他们日常生活和康复的先进技术。约一半的脊髓损伤患者认为技术和研究的进步在未来10年能显著改善他们的生活质量。
这项调查是第一项专门研究中国脊髓损伤人群恢复和康复优先事项的研究。这也是第一项调查脊髓损伤患者主要照料者优先事项的研究。这些发现有助于为当地及中国其他地区的脊髓损伤群体规划未来研究和提供康复服务提供参考。
