Health promotion in motion: improving quality of life for persons with neurogenic bladder and bowel using assistive technology

Abstract

The neurogenic bladder and bowel lead to many complications in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Management of these neurological complications is a multidimensional challenge for persons with SCI and their caregivers, and can affect the person medically, economically, socially, and personally. This may result in social isolation, poor self-image, and overall decreased quality of life (QOL). When facing this challenge, nurses working with persons with SCI must expand their practice to include more than traditional preventive care. A newly available technique for promoting health with a neurogenic bladder and bowel is the VOCARE Bladder and Bowel Control System. Sixteen persons with SCI who received this system were interviewed by telephone and asked for their recollections of health and QOL pre-operatively in relation to bladder and bowel care and to rate changes in their QOL post-implant. Post-operatively, the recipients reported improved health, a decrease in costs of management of their neurogenic bladder and bowel, increased independence leading to less social isolation, increased sense of control, increased feelings of self-worth, and overall improvement in QOL. These outcomes illustrate the global impact that can be made on the lives of persons with SCI by health services that go beyond prevention of complications and into the realm of health promotion.