My Care My Call: Peer-Led Health Empowerment Training in Chronic Spinal Cord Injury

Gaylord Hospital, Hospital for Special Care, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research

My Care My Call (MCMC) is an innovative, peer-led telephone intervention designed to empower adults with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) in the self-management of their primary health care needs to prevent secondary conditions. In a randomized controlled trial, participants assigned to the MCMC intervention receive tapered calls from a Peer Health Coach (PHC) for six months. PHCs are experienced, empathetic peer mentors living with SCI who act as supporters, role models, and advisors, providing goal-setting support, motivation, education, and resource referral to participants. Participants complete surveys at baseline, 2, 4, and 6-months, as well as qualitative exit phone interviews. It is hypothesized that MCMC will: 1) Increase participants' self-advocacy in health care interactions as reflected in increases in three domains of self-advocacy: assertiveness, illness education, and potential for mindful non-adherence, 2) Increase participants' self-efficacy for health care navigation, preference for involvement in, and satisfaction with their primary care physician (PCP), and 3) Increase health related quality of life and medical social support compared with those receiving usual care. Additional secondary hypotheses state that the MCMC intervention will increase access to primary care and use of preventive screening services compared with those receiving usual care.

Inclusion Criteria: Self-report of physician-confirmed traumatic spinal cord injury diagnosis Injured one year ago or more Telephone access for at least 9 months Speaks and understands conversational English Have a current health issue to address Exclusion Criteria: Moderate to severe cognitive impairment Surgery scheduled for a 2-week or longer duration during the months of the study

Houlihan BV, Brody M, Everhart-Skeels S, Pernigotti D, Burnett S, Zazula J, Green C, Hasiotis S, Belliveau T, Seetharama S, Rosenblum D, Jette A. Randomized Trial of a Peer-Led, Telephone-Based Empowerment Intervention for Persons With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury Improves Health Self-Management. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2017 Jun;98(6):1067-1076.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2017.02.005. Epub 2017 Mar 8.