This presentation was given at the conferenced entitled, "Rural Spinal Cord Injury
Rehabilitation Conference" in Somerset, Kentucky on September 30, 2009.

Faculty

Needs Statement

Community re-integration after hospitalization has emerged as an important goal of rehabilitation, given the current emphasis on cost containment of inpatient care and the need to decrease the length of stay in the hospital. Rehabilitation providers have noted that people with disabilities in rural areas are at increased risk of secondary complications due to a lack of access to support services, higher rates of unemployment, distance from specialized SCI centers, transportation needs, and decreased access to rehabilitation services.

Target Audience

This is designed for persons with spinal cord injury and their caregivers, health care providers who serve them, future health care providers, community partners, educators and researchers to come together to discuss current topics that directly impact persons with SCI.

Objectives

1. Discuss supports and barriers to successful community integration that can lead to improved QoL for individuals with spinal cord injury.
2. Educate health care providers and future health care providers about how to measure QoL and community integration in order to provide effective long-term treatment plans.
3. Describe commonly used assessment tools for assessing QoL and community integration of their clients in rural communities.
4. Discuss available resources in the rural communities to help with community integration.

Accreditation

CME
The University of Kentucky College of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine presents this activity for educational purposes only. Participants are expected to utilize their own expertise and judgment while engaged in the practice of medicine. The content of the presentations is provided solely by presenters who have been selected for presentations because of recognized expertise in their field.

Faculty Disclosure

Dr. Whiteneck has nothing to disclose.

Activity Sponsorship

Sponsored by:
UK HealthCare Marketing
Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital
UK Department of Rehabilitation Sciences