Abstract

There is a wide range of sequelae associated to spinal cord injuries and disorders, with significant impact on the individual´s quality of life and well-being. Nevertheless, the incidence of traumatic spinal cord injuries is low, as well as the prevalence of people with spinal cord injuries sequels in a particular social core absolute numbers. Thus, primary care professionals may find it difficult to correctly monitor and treat health problems, sometimes specific, in these patients. The monitoring and treatment of complications, rehabilitation, psychological adaptation, sexuality, social and family integration require actions with a regular contact with the specialist. People who live far from specialized centers may have greater difficulty in receiving proper care and obtaining the necessary resources for an adequate quality of life. In recent years, assistance, training, and communication programs-such as telemedicinehave been implemented between specialized and primary care providers, as well as directly with the affected person. Here, we summarize the main environmental difficulties that influence the quality of life of spinal cord injured subjects and the proposed approaches in specialized journals, with telemedicine increasingly having greater relevance for the comprehensive care of this population.

Keywords:Spinal cord injuries; Quality of life; Telemedicine; Primary health care; Training programs

Abbreviations: SCI: Spinal Cord Injuries; QoL: Quality of Life; GP: General Practitioner; NLUTD: Neurogenic Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction; ISCoS: International Spinal Cord Society