Abstract
Pressure injuries undoubtably have negative impact on the quality of life for patients living with spinal cord injury. The aim of this research was to identify the risk factors for recurrent pressure injuries identified by patients with a history of spinal cord injury. A qualitative descriptive design was used to undertake this research utilising semi-structured interviews. Participant criteria included patients between the age of 16-65 years, admitted to a community rehabilitation setting with an existing or recurrent pressure injuries after spinal cord injury. In total, three participants were interviewed. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the findings of the research, which showed that personal or intrinsic factors may be responsible for recurrence of pressure injuries among this group. Four risk factors were identified: accidental injuries, inaccessibility of equipment and resources, personal or behavioural traits and lifestyle considerations.
This study underlines the importance of understanding the perceptions of patients about the risk factors for PIs. Issues related to equipment, the attitude of health professionals and lifestyle habits were identified as playing key roles in pressure injury prevention. Policy makers and stakeholders may need to acknowledge the importance of patient-centred care and workforce training to achieve better outcomes for this group.