Challenges and Strategies for Spinal Cord Injury Research Recruitment in Rehabilitation Hospitals: A Single Center Perspective

Steven Kirshblum MD, Brittany Snider DO, Einat Engel-Haber MD

Research in rehabilitation plays a vital role in improving patient outcomes and developing new treatments. At the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation (KIR), in partnership with the Kessler Foundation, investigators conduct comprehensive research involving individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCIs). This is done during their inpatient rehabilitation stay. A recent publication highlighted several challenges to conducting research with this population that make patient recruitment for studies difficult. Those challenges include: variation in injuries between patients, short rehabilitation stays, busy patient care schedules and medical constraints.

To address these barriers, several strategies were recommended: making education about research opportunities more understandable for patients, simplifying consent forms, designing research studies with flexibility, fostering close collaboration between clinical and research teams, and ensuring an overall patient-centered approach.

Despite these challenges, investigators remain committed to advancing research with the SCI population to improve recovery outcomes. Successfully addressing these barriers will require a coordinated, patient-centered effort to seamlessly integrate research into clinical care and conduct meaningful and impactful research that enhances the quality of care and outcomes for individuals with SCI.

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