Congratulations to all the collaborators involved with SCIRE, the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Evidence project. Whether you are a front-line clinician, scientist, medical student or someone living with a spinal cord injury, the new Version 3.0 of SCIRE will serve as an invaluable resource.
The information gleaned from SCIRE helps clinicians provide best practices and specialized rehabilitation care to patients, whether they live in urban or rural communities. An impressive 1,650 studies were reviewed for SCIRE which outlines, in clear and concise terms, spinal cord injury rehabilitation treatments that have advanced the field. Studies have shown that up to 40 per cent of people do not receive medical treatments of proven effectiveness. SCIRE’s presentation of the best evidence can make a difference by helping people with spinal cord injury receive the most effective care possible.
Representing the combined effort of hundreds of scientists, clinicians and consumers, SCIRE was created in 2006 and now offers 30 investigated topics, has published more than 25 peer-reviewed manuscripts in leading spinal cord journals and has hosted more than 100 informational presentations and workshops around the world.
The new Version 3.0 includes topics on housing and personal attendant services, primary care and work and employment. Returning to the community with a new spinal cord injury presents extraordinary challenges and complexities that clinicians can help patients to confront with this new information.
The SCIRE team is comprised of co-leaders, Dr. Janice Eng and Dr. Robert Teasell, as well as Dr. Bill Miller, Dr. Dalton Wolfe, Dr. Andrea Townson, Ms. Jane Hsieh and Ms. Sandra Connolly. They are to be commended for their continuing efforts to move knowledge into action, and especially for their work in promoting best practice adoption, improving the lives of people with spinal cord injury.
The Rick Hansen Institute (RHI) is committed to accelerating the development, validation and implementation of cures leading to enhanced health and quality of life for people with a spinal cord injury. On behalf of RHI, I am proud to support the SCIRE project and look forward to continuing our work together towards our common goal of minimizing disability and maximizing the quality of life for all individuals with a spinal cord injury.
2010 marks the 25th Anniversary of the Man In Motion World Tour and over the years, we’ve seen incredible progress and successes in the original goals of the Tour: to find a cure for spinal cord injury and to make the world a more accessible and inclusive place for people with disabilities. There is still much work to do and I applaud the SCIRE project team for their ongoing contributions.
Rick Hansen
May 2010