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. 2025 Jun;63(6):298-305.
doi: 10.1038/s41393-025-01079-9. Epub 2025 Apr 30.

Priorities for support service needs among individuals with spinal cord injury

Hye Jin Nam  1 , Haesun Lee  1 , Ju Young Yoon  2   3
Affiliations

Priorities for support service needs among individuals with spinal cord injury

Hye Jin Nam et al. Spinal Cord. 2025 Jun.

Abstract

Study design: Cross-sectional survey.

Objectives: This study aims to identify and prioritize the gaps between the required and current levels of support services for individuals with SCI in South Korea.

Setting: Community.

Methods: The cross-sectional analysis involved 532 participants who are members of the Korea Spinal Cord Injury Association. These participants were recruited through the 2021 Survey on Needs of People with SCI, conducted via face-to-face interviews by trained investigators. The survey assesses the demand and current levels of 11 key support services. The Borich needs assessment and the locus for focus model were employed to identify the priorities of these services.

Results: Results indicated significant disparities between the required and current levels across all services. Among the 532 participants, 70.1% were male and the average age was 49.6 years. The highest priority services were identified as "support for caregiver costs," "livelihood security," "health management," and "home modification". Secondary priorities included "training for daily living activities" and "vocational rehabilitation."

Conclusions: The study emphasizes the importance of aligning service provision with the specific needs of the SCI population to enhance their quality of life and promote successful reintegration into the community. The findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive support systems to address the economic and functional challenges of individuals with SCI. Policymakers and service providers are encouraged to focus on these identified priorities to better meet the needs of individuals with SCI, to ensure their sustained independence and improved well-being.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval: The study was a secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data. The Korea Spinal Cord Injury Association has stringent protocols that ensure confidentiality and participants’ autonomy. Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects or their legal guardians. To ensure compliance with de-identified data handling procedures, this study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Seoul National University (IRB No. E2405/004-012).

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The formula for the priority decision of Borich needs.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. The locus for focus model for support services needs for people with spinal cord injury.
HH high discrepancy with high demand, HL high discrepancy with low demand, LL low discrepancy with low demand, LH low discrepancy with high demand.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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