U.S. Health Care System Doesn’t Meet Needs of Patients With Spinal Cord Injury, Studies Show

According to the University of Michigan Health System, there have been disparaities experienced by individuals with spinal cord injury in lack of awareness and resources by health care providers.

“We health care providers can do a better job of dealing with health and health care disparities related to individuals with spinal cord injury, if we are better informed as to how and where the disparities occur,” says Michelle A. Meade, Ph.D., assistant professor in the University of Michigan Medical School’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and guest editor for the issue, which published this week.

There are approximately 265,000 people living with traumatic SCI in the U.S. More than 40 percent are the result of motor vehicle crashes, 27.9 percent are the result of falls, 15 percent from interpersonal violence and 8 percent from sports injuries. There are approximately 12,000 new cases of SCI in the U.S. each year.

Following initial inpatient rehabilitation, many individuals with SCI face challenges accessing health care services. Lack of knowledgeable providers, insurance coverage, difficulties with transportation and inaccessible physical environments become barriers to receiving health care and equipment and needed supports after SCI.

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