Building and Sustaining Inpatient-Clinician Collaboration in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation: A Case Example Using the Stoke Mandeville Spinal Needs Assessment Checklist (SMS-NAC) and Goal Planning Programme

Goal planning is core for the delivery of the biopsychosocial model of rehabilitation and is commonly practiced in spinal cord injury (SCI) and other physical health settings. Despite a strong theoretical basis from several branches of psychology, evidence regarding specific practice, interventions and impact has yet to be established, with no universal standards in this area. Study One outlines the standards used at the National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC), Stoke Mandeville Hospital since the inception of the SMS-NAC and goal planning programme in 1989. The results outline the impact of a quality improvement project undertaken since 2016 and track the interventions used to improve inpatient care. Study Two reports on an international survey of rehabilitation measure usage and goal planning practice with inpatient adult and children and young people (CYP) with SCI. Respondents replied that inpatient presence at goal planning meetings only took place in 75% (adult) and 76% (CYP) of services, with more services indicating 4 or more members of the multidisciplinary team being present (85% and 90%, respectively). This paper demonstrates the gains that can be made when a structured quality improvement methodology is used and highlights the need for standards regarding goal planning in SCI rehabilitation to be developed.