Mission Objectives and Activities of SPIRIT to Improve Outcomes of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injuries.
Mission
SPIRIT is a charitable organisation dedicated to the achievement and advancement of the best standards of care and treatment for individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) globally.
Objectives
To promote and support teaching and training in the management of patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries as well as patients with non-traumatic spinal cord paralysis and to highlight the differences in care requirements between the two groups.
To preserve and building on the accumulated knowledge and experience that transformed the outcomes of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injuries over the last 80 years from Injuries from assured death to demonstrable healthy, enjoyable, productive, dignified living as well as neurological improvement in many individuals with initial paralysis or weakness.
SPIRIT endeavours to encourage research in establishing evidence of added benefit of local or systemic interventions to improve outcomes.
SPIRIT encourages and facilitates the exchange of knowledge between basic scientists and clinicians and ensure the dissemination of new effective findings between the two groups.
SPIRIT Activities
Sharing knowledge and experience about:
- The medical and other differences between the effects of an injury to the spine with and without spinal cord damage.
- The extent of the medical and non-medical effects of traumatic Spinal Cord and Cauda Equina damage and requirements to achieve best outcomes.
- The complexities and controversies in the management of both the Spinal Injury and the medical as well as the non-medical effects of cord management.
- The benefits of the provision of a Holistic Humane Model of Service Delivery from the early hours or days of injury to patients with Spinal Cord Injuries and their family members.
- The clinical signs that predict neurological improvement and recovery when the treatment of the injured spine and the medical consequences of cord damage is sound and adequate.
- The pitfalls in the management of the malfunctioning systems of the body and the patient.
- The potential detrimental effects of some medical complications on the neurological recovery.
- The methods of prevention of medical and non-medical complications.
- The short, medium and long term effects of complications on the health and quality of life of patients and their family members.
- The dynamics between the psychological, social and medical effects of Spinal Cord and Cauda Equina injury.
- The importance and benefits of regular follow up reviews in patients with loss of normal sensation (feeling) who are unable to complain of the usual symptoms of complications or injury.
- The evaluation of the new methods of management of the injured spine and various body systems of patients to ensure that claims of improvement are evidence based.
- Facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experience between clinicians in the field of spinal cord injury and those in the allied surgical and medical specialities.
- Facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experience between clinicians in the field of spinal cord injury and Scientists undergoing research in various aspects of the condition.
- Facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experience between Clinicians and Health Care Professionals.