The National Capital Spinal Cord Injury Model System

The NCSCIMS at NRH is engaged in four critical studies exploring ways to improve medical rehabilitation and quality of life following spinal cord injury.

In a unique practice-based evidence (PBE) study, researchers are developing more effective methods to prevent pressure ulcers.

A one-of-a-kind demonstration project is exploring the value of an SCI Patient Navigator integrating the hospital’s Peer Mentor program with the well-proven concept of patient navigation to help inpatients develop self-care management and problem solving skills, and guide them through the maze of health care resources they face after discharge. 

In one multi-center study, NRH has joined five of the country’s top rehabilitation facilities to identify best practices in SCI rehabilitation, and in another collaborative investigation, researchers are collecting critical data to measure the value of assistive technology – and the effect lack of access to technology has on the lives of people with SCI from minorities and lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

This research builds upon the successes of investigations housed within the hospital’s Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Spinal Cord Injury, established in 2003 through a five-year, $4 million grant from NIDRR.