The effect of rurality and distance from care on health outcomes, environmental barriers, and healthcare utilization patterns in persons with traumatic spinal cord injury.

ABSTRACT:

Study design

Cohort study.

Objectives

To evaluate the association between residential living location and health outcomes, environmental barriers, quality of life, and healthcare utilization patterns after traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI).

Setting

Community setting, Atlantic Canada.

Methods

An ambispective study of data collected on a subset of individuals enrolled in the Rick Hansen Spinal Cord Injury Registry (RHSCIR) from 2012 to 2018. Outcomes were analyzed using two measures of rurality: postal codes at community follow-up (rural versus urban) and residential travel distance to the nearest RHSCIR facility (>100 km versus ≤100 km). Outcomes studied included the Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors-Short Form (CHIEF-SF), Short Form-36 Version

SUBMITTER: Whelan A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10173934 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature