Frequently asked questions of individuals with spinal cord injuries: results of a web-based consultation service in Iran

STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study of the results of a web-based consultation service for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). OBJECTIVES: To review frequently asked questions (FAQ) among individuals with SCI and determine the most important topics. SETTING: Sina Trauma and Surgery Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. METHODS: A cross-sectional study reviewing questions from patients with SCI that were collected from the Health and Safety Consultant Center (HSCC) between January and December 2015. The HSCC is a web-based medical consultation service that provides patients with information and counseling pertaining to SCI. RESULTS: A total of 113 questions were collected from 99 individuals. The mean age was 32.02 ± 13.28 years with a range of 3–70 years. Men accounted for 81.7% of the questions, while women accounted for 18.3%. The most common site of SCI was thoracic (40.6%), followed by lumbar (31.3%), and cervical (28.1%). Recovery potential (38.1%), sexual and reproductive issues (26.5%), urinary (10.6%), and motor (10.6%) problems were among the most commonly reviewed topics. CONCLUSIONS: FAQ provide insight on areas of concerns for individuals with SCI and help guide providers to determine high-yield topics. Discerning the specific areas of need or concern for patients is instrumental in developing pertinent educational materials and programs, in addition to efficiently counseling patients and caregivers on the aftercare of SCI.