JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

COVID-19 disrupted services received by persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) worldwide. The International Disability Alliance declared the need for a disability-inclusive response to the COVID-19 crisis, as deprioritization of access to health care services for individuals living with varying levels of function was unacceptable. As a result, a SCI community in Canada created a novel, webinar-based strategy aimed at improving access to self-management information and care for people living with SCI. However, while telehealth practices have previously been used effectively in SCI management and rehabilitation, little to no scholarship has investigated the implementation outcomes of a webinar-based telehealth strategy among this population.

Objective:

The study aimed to understand the implementation outcomes of the webinar series. Specifically, we aimed to determine the reach of the series; understand its impact on social connectedness, perceptions of disability, and overall quality of interactions among persons with SCI, their families, service providers, and the public at large; and explore the long-term sustainability of the initiative.

Methods:

We implemented a community-based participatory strategy to define a convergent mixed-methods design to triangulate qualitative (QUAL) and quantitative (QUAN) data collected simultaneously (i.e., QUAN + QUAL). Quantitative methods included pop-up questions administered during the live webinars, surveys administered following webinars, and an analysis of YouTube analytics. Qualitative methods included semi-structured interviews with persons with SCI and health care providers who attended at least one webinar. Results were integrated following methods adapted from Creswell and Clark (2018).

Results:

A total of 234 individuals attended at least one of the six webinars that occurred during the six-month study period. In total, 32 participants completed the post webinar survey and 7 people participated in semi-structured interviews. The reach of the webinar series was mainly to persons with SCI, followed by health professionals, most of them living in urban areas. The topics “sexuality” and “research” were the most viewed on YouTube. The knowledge disseminated during the webinars was mainly perceived as valid and useful relating to the fact that the presentation format involved people with lived experience and clinical experts. The webinars did not necessarily help to build a new extended community of people involved in SCI but helped to strengthen the existing community of people with SCI in Alberta. The webinar positively influenced the perceptions of “normality” and disability regarding people with SCI. The webinar format was perceived as highly usable and accessible.

Conclusions:

The webinar series was associated with improved participant knowledge on what is possible to achieve after a SCI and their perceptions of disability. The long-term implementation of this initiative is feasible but further considerations to increase its reach to rural areas and assure integration of diverse individuals should be made.