National Spinal Cord Injury Database Project: Research Demonstration and Education Projects
Gaylord Hospital is part of the New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center, which is one of the SCI Model System Centers designated by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. The Centers work together to monitor the care of patients with spinal cord injury, maintain a national database, and participate in research, including work on medical care, vocational and rehabilitation services, assistive technology, and other projects that aim to improve the quality of life of patients with spinal cord injury.
The purpose of the database is to allow researchers and healthcare professionals to evaluate trends over time for many aspects of spinal cord injury. Data collection begins during the inpatient rehabilitation stay, is updated approximately one year after injury and every five years afterwards. No medical procedures are involved and information is gathered through a one-on-one interview designed to give a current synopsis of the participant’s quality of life from their point of view.
Improving the Lives of People Living with Spinal Cord Injury through Innovative Science and Technology
The SCI-CAT (Spinal Cord Injury-Computer Adaptive Test) Study aims to learn more about the physical functioning of persons with a spinal cord dysfunction. The study will develop a new measure of functional activities that will be used in SCI research. Currently, SCI research is limited because the measures are not very sensitive; they are not good at showing when an individual has gained or lost function. Designed specifically for spinal cord dysfunction professionals, the measurement tool will be able to detect changes in function based on responses to questions about the level of difficulty one has in performing everyday tasks.
Care Call: Automated Phone Follow Up to Prevent Secondary Conditions for People with Mobility Impairments
The purpose of the study is to test if the education and support provided by Care Call can effectively reduce health problems and improve quality of life for people with SCI or MS (multiple sclerosis), most notably skin problems and depressed feelings. Based on a six-month intervention, Care Call is an automated voice telephone system that calls participants once a week and asks questions concerning their health care. It provides education and local resources to keep people healthy and prevent problems from getting worse, as well as helping to prepare people for their next office visit.
IRIS: The Insulin Resistance Intervention after Stroke Trial
The Insulin Resistance Intervention after Stroke (IRIS) trial is a randomized clinical trial that tests the effectiveness of a new approach to preventing stroke and heart attacks among patients with a recent stroke or TIA (transient ischemic attack or mini-stroke). The new approach targets insulin resistance, a newly recognized cause of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the underlying disease that clogs vessels in strokes and heart attacks. Insulin resistance affects nearly half of all patients with stroke and ischemic TIA. Participating stroke patients will be assigned to receive a medication, which reduces insulin resistance, or a placebo (an inactive look-alike pill). Patients will stay on their assigned treatment for about four years. At the end of the study, investigators will compare the experience of patients on the medication and placebo to see which group had fewer recurrent strokes and heart attacks.