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NCT Number: NCT06677905

SCI&U Peer Health Coaching Program for Individuals Newly Discharged From Inpatient Rehabilitation

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the online program and web-based platform for delivery of self-management services to people with spinal cord injury (SCI) called "SCI & U" can support transitions from hospital to the community after injury. Specifically, can providing support from trained peer health coaches via the SCI & U web-based self-management program increase health self-management among those within three years of a spinal cord injury with a planned discharge to or living in the community with SCI for less than two years in the province of British Columbia, Canada or the state of Connecticut, United States.

The main question it aims to answer is:

• Does the SCI & U web-based self-management program lower emotional distress and increase self-efficacy Researchers will compare those who participate in SCI & U with those who receive usual peer support after 6 months to see if the SCI & U program improves self-management knowledge, skills and self-efficacy and decreases secondary complications

Participants will:

* engage in up to 14 online sessions, each of which lasts about an hour with a peer health coach trained in motivational interviewing, goal setting and brief action planning. During sessions, they may also review resources and create follow up plans on the online platform on health management topics * complete an interviewer administered survey at baseline, 6 and 12 months

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Key information

Conditions

Spinal Cord Injury Central Nervous System Diseases Nervous System Diseases Spinal Cord Diseases Spinal Cord Injuries Trauma, Nervous System Wounds and Injuries

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Loading trial locations.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 18 years and older, with a planned discharge to or living in community with SCI for no more than three years since injury and with the ability to speak and understand English

Exclusion criteria

  • not a member of or willing to become a member of SCI BC or SCIACT

Treatment and study plan

web-based spinal cord injury self-management program

Behavioral

Peer health coaches will be recruited from the United Spinal Connecticut Chapter and SCI BC. They will be at least 5 years post-SCI and will be certified in brief action planning and in Mental Health First Aid.

Online coaching sessions are expected to cover a health-related topic (eg. bladder, bowel, skin, pain, healthy eating, physical activity or stress, anxiety and depression etc) and a self-management skill topic (eg.action planning, goal setting, problem-solving, mood management, navigating the health care system, communicating with health care providers). To ensure we meet the unique needs of participants, the coach and participant will determine jointly how many sessions to spend on a topic. In addition, coaches will be able to link relevant information and resources contained in the resource library to each session.

Peer Support

Behavioral

Existing peer support program from the United Spinal Connecticut Chapter or SCI BC

Primary outcomes

  1. Emotional Distress Subscale in Health Education Impact Questionnaire

    Time frame: From baseline assessment to 6 months followup

    The Emotional Distress construct measures overall negative affect including worry, depression and anger.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Health Directed Activities in Health Education Impact Questionnaire

    Time frame: From baseline assessment to 6 months followup

  2. Positive and Active Engagement in Life in Health Education Impact Questionnaire

    Time frame: From baseline assessment to 6 months followup

  3. Self-monitoring and Insight in Health Education Impact Questionnaire

    Time frame: From baseline assessment to 6 months followup

  4. Constructive Attitudes and Approaches in Health Education Impact Questionnaire

    Time frame: From baseline assessment to 6 months followup

  5. Skill and Technique Acquisition in Health Education Impact Questionnaire

    Time frame: From baseline assessment to 6 months followup

  6. Social Integration and Support in Health Education Impact Questionnaire

    Time frame: From baseline assessment to 6 months followup

  7. Health Services Navigation in Health Education Impact Questionnaire

    Time frame: From baseline assessment to 6 months followup

  8. The Patient Activation Measure - (PAM) Survey

    Time frame: From baseline assessment to 6 months followup

    The Patient Activation Measure (PAM) is a commercial product which assesses an individual's knowledge, skill, and confidence for managing one's health and healthcare. The PAM survey measures patients on a 0-100 scale and can segment patients into one of four activation levels. Individuals who measure high on this assessment typically understand the importance of taking a pro-active role in managing their health and have the skills and confidence to do so.

  9. Moorong Self-Efficacy Scale

    Time frame: From baseline assessment to 6 months followup

    Measures self-efficacy in performing functional activities of daily living in individuals with SCI.

    Consists of two factors: daily activities (e.g., I can maintain my personal hygiene with or without help), and social functioning (e.g., I can enjoy spending time with my friends)

  10. Secondary Conditions Scale

    Time frame: From baseline assessment to 6 months followup

    A 16-item self-report measure that targets secondary conditions associated with SCI that impact health on a 4-point scale from "not experienced in the last 3 months" to significant or chronic problem"

  11. NIH Toolbox Loneliness Scale

    Time frame: From baseline assessment to 6 months followup

  12. System Usability Scale

    Time frame: From baseline assessment to 6 months followup

    This scale was designed to evaluate the usability of interactive systems flexibly and expediently.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Diana Pernigotti

CONTACT

[email protected]

203-284-2910

Susan Jaglal, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

416-946-8641

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Toronto

Other

Registry information

Acronym: SCIU2

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Nov 7, 2024
Registry last updated
Sep 5, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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