Article

PURPOSE: To identify research gaps and potential research priorities regarding
the impact that legal regulations and administrative policies might have on
people with spinal cord injury (SCI) living in Switzerland.
METHOD: We conducted
semi-structured interviews with 14 healthcare professionals working for or being
associated with the largest SCI clinic in Switzerland. The transcribed interviews
were content analyzed, involving qualitative description, and thematic analysis
techniques. RESULTS: Four interrelated clusters of issues were corroborated: (1)
social insurance, (2) caregiving, (3) work integration, and (4) aging. In
addition, two overarching themes were identified: (1) fairness considerations and
(2) unavailability of systematic empirical evidence. Work capacity assessment and
family caregiving were deemed to be the most pressing research priority areas.
CONCLUSIONS: Legal frameworks do play both a direct and an indirect role in the
lives of people with SCI in Switzerland. This is particularly true with regard to
various issues related to the social insurance system, such as family caregiving
and work capacity assessment. The salience of these topics is closely related to
major sociodemographic and political driving forces, i.e. aging and social
insurance reforms. Research directly involving people with SCI is needed to
further substantiate and refine the findings of this study.
IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: When dealing with issues related to work reintegration, aging,
social insurance, and caregiving, rehabilitation professionals should take
existing legal frameworks into account. Eligibility criteria for disability
benefits may influence the therapy motivation of rehabilitation clients.

Langue : ANGLAIS