title: Empowering Adults With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury to Prevent Secondary Conditions.
abstract: To develop and assess the feasibility of My Care My Call, an innovative peer-led, community-based telephone intervention for individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) using peer health coaches.
  
  
  
  Qualitative pilot study.
  
  
  
  General community.
  
  
  
  Convenience sample of consumer advocates with traumatic SCI ≥1 year postinjury (N=7).
  
  
  
  My Care My Call applies a health empowerment approach for goal-setting support, education, and referral to empower consumers in managing their preventive health needs. For feasibility testing, peer health coaches, trained in brief action planning, called participants 6 times over 3 weeks.
  
  
  
  Identified focus areas were acceptability, demand, implementation, and practicality. Participant outcome data were collected through brief after-call surveys and qualitative exit interviews. Through a custom website, peer health coaches documented call attempts, content, and feedback. Analysis applied the constant comparative method.
  
  
  
  My Care My Call was highly feasible in each focus area for participants. Concerning acceptability, participants were highly satisfied, rating peer health coaches as very good or excellent in 80% of calls; felt My Care My Call was appropriate; and would continue use. Regarding demand, participants completed 88% of scheduled calls; reported that My Care My Call fills a real need; and would recommend it. Considering implementation, peer health coaches made 119% of expected calls, with a larger focus on compiling individualized resources. For practicality, call duration averaged 29 minutes, with 1 hour of additional time for peer health coaches. Participant effects included feeling supported, greater confidence toward goals, and greater connection to resources. Subsequently, several process changes enhanced peer health coach training and support through role-plays, regular support calls, and streamlined My Care My Call support materials.
  
  
  
  After process changes, a randomized controlled trial to evaluate My Care My Call is underway.
authors.affiliation: New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center Model Systems Network, Boston, MA; The Health and Disability Research Institute, Department of Health Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA. Electronic address: bvergo@bu.edu.
authors.forename: Bethlyn Vergo
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Houlihan
authors.affiliation: New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center Model Systems Network, Boston, MA; The Health and Disability Research Institute, Department of Health Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Everhart-Skeels
authors.affiliation: Center for Collaboration, Motivation and Innovation, Hope, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Damara
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gutnick
authors.affiliation: New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center Model Systems Network, Boston, MA; Rehabilitation Services and Outpatient Services, Spinal Cord Injury Program, Gaylord Hospital, Wallingford, CT.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pernigotti
authors.affiliation: New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center Model Systems Network, Boston, MA; The Health and Disability Research Institute, Department of Health Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Judi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zazula
authors.affiliation: New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center Model Systems Network, Boston, MA; The Health and Disability Research Institute, Department of Health Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brody
authors.affiliation: Center for Collaboration, Motivation and Innovation, Hope, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burnett
authors.affiliation: New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center Model Systems Network, Boston, MA; The Health and Disability Research Institute, Department of Health Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mercier
authors.affiliation: New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center Model Systems Network, Boston, MA; Rehabilitation Services and Outpatient Services, Spinal Cord Injury Program, Gaylord Hospital, Wallingford, CT.
authors.forename: Stathis
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hasiotis
authors.affiliation: New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center Model Systems Network, Boston, MA; Hospital for Special Care, New Britain, CT.
authors.forename: Christa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center Model Systems Network, Boston, MA; Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT.
authors.forename: Subramani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seetharama
authors.affiliation: New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center Model Systems Network, Boston, MA; Hospital for Special Care, New Britain, CT.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Belliveau
authors.affiliation: New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center Model Systems Network, Boston, MA; Rehabilitation Services and Outpatient Services, Spinal Cord Injury Program, Gaylord Hospital, Wallingford, CT.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rosenblum
authors.affiliation: New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center Model Systems Network, Boston, MA; The Health and Disability Research Institute, Department of Health Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jette
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D010379:Peer Group; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011209:Power, Psychological; D015397:Program Evaluation; D055502:Secondary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D012648:Self Care; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D013689:Telephone
keywords: Community-based participatory research; Feasibility studies; Rehabilitation; Spinal Cord Injuries; Telemedicine