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This study aimed to: (1) develop a coding manual to characterize topics discussed and conversation techniques used during peer mentorship conversations between people with spinal cord injury (SCI); (2) assess the reliability of the manual; and (3) apply the manual to characterize conversations. The study was conducted in partnership with three Canadian provincial SCI organizations. Twenty-five phone conversations between SCI peer mentors and mentees were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Ten transcripts were inductively analyzed to develop a coding manual identifying topics and techniques used during the conversations. Inductive technique codes were combined and deductively linked to motivational interviewing and behaviour change techniques. Two coders independently applied the coding manual to all transcripts. Code frequencies were calculated. The coding manual included 14 topics and 31 techniques. The most frequently coded topics were personal information, recreational programs, and chronic health services for mentors and mentees. The most frequently coded techniques were giving personal information, social smoothers, and closed question for mentors; and giving personal information, social smoothers, and sharing perspective for mentees. This research provides insights into topics and techniques used during real-world peer mentorship conversations. Findings may be valuable for understanding and improving SCI peer mentorship programs. SCI peer mentorship conversations address a wide range of rehabilitation topics ranging from acute care to living in the community. Identification of the topics discussed, and techniques used in SCI peer mentorship conversations can help to inform formalized efforts to train and educate acute and community-based rehabilitation professionals. Identifying commonly discussed topics in SCI peer mentorship conversation may help to ensure that peer mentors are equipped with the necessary knowledge and resources, or the development of those resources be prioritized. Developing a method to characterize the topics discussed and techniques used during SCI peer mentorship conversations may aid in designing methods to evaluate how rehabilitation professionals provide support to people with SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore sexuality after spinal cord injury (SCI) from the perspectives of individuals with SCI and their romantic partners. A sample of 8 Canadian adults with SCI (6 men, 2 women) and their partners participated in this study (N = 16). Semi-structured dyadic and individual interviews were conducted, discussions surrounding sexuality and intimacy were extracted, and a qualitative description of the interview data was performed using thematic analysis. Three major themes were identified: the changing definition of sex; emotions; and practical support. Couples' conversations around the changing definition of sex after SCI addressed the taboo topic of sexuality and the importance of communication between couples, peers, and healthcare providers. Emotions included fears of losing intimacy, embarrassment in managing bladder and bowel interference, and acceptance in balancing being a romantic partner and a caregiver. Finally, couples reported challenges accessing practical support including medical interventions and sexual health nurses, but saw value in peer mentorship programs. Couples explored a changing definition of sex following SCI that was complicated by the taboo nature of discussing sexuality, experienced a range of emotions throughout the recovery process, and had difficulties navigating the healthcare system for appropriate support. Healthcare professionals should promote discussion and provide support for sexuality following SCI, but during initial rehabilitation may be too early. Healthcare providers should prepare people with SCI and their partners for the inevitable trial-and-error process involved in sexual rehabilitation. Rehabilitation professionals could direct couples to SCI peer mentorship programs to help normalize the experiences and emotions of sexual rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: There has been growing emphasis on increasing impacts of academic health research by integrating research findings in healthcare. The concept of knowledge translation (KT) has been widely adopted in Canada to guide this work, although lack of recognition in tenure and promotion (T&P) structures have been identified as barrier to researchers undertaking KT. Our objective was to explore how KT is considered in institutional T&P documentation in Canadian academic health sciences. Methods: We conducted content analysis of T&P documents acquired from 19 purposively sampled research-intensive or largest regional Canadian institutions in 2020–2021. We coded text for four components of KT (synthesis, dissemination, exchange, application). We identified clusters of related groups of documents interpreted together within the same institution. We summarized manifest KT content with descriptive statistics and identified latent categories related to how KT is considered in T&P documentation. Results: We acquired 89 unique documents from 17 institutions that formed 48 document clusters. Most of the 1057 text segments were categorized as dissemination (n = 851, 81%), which was included in 47 document clusters (98%). 15 document clusters (31%) included all four KT categories, while one (2%) did not have any KT categories identified. We identified two latent categories: primarily implicit recognition of KT; and an overall lack of clarity on KT. Conclusions: Our analysis of T&P documents from primarily research-intensive Canadian universities showed a lack of formal recognition for a comprehensive approach to KT and emphasis on traditional dissemination. We recommend that institutions explicitly and comprehensively consider KT in T&P and align documentation and procedures to reflect these values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To establish consensus regarding principles that should be used to guide spinal cord injury (SCI) research partnerships between researchers and research users. A three-round Delphi consensus exercise was carried out with researchers and/or research users involved in one or more SCI research partnerships. Participants considered a list of 125 partnership principles. In rounds 1 and 2, participants rated their agreement that a principle should guide SCI research partnerships on an 11-point Likert scale. After each round, principles that received a mean score of ≥8.0 or 70% of participants rated the principle ≥8.0 were retained. In round 3, participants categorized principles as essential, desirable, irrelevant, or unsure. At least 20 individuals participated in each round. In round 1, 103 principles met consensus criteria and eight principles were added. In round 2, 93 principles met the criteria. In round 3, 29 principles were categorized as essential and eight as desirable. Recommended principles focused on the interpersonal, relational, and logistical aspects of partnerships. Principles that did not reach consensus related to social justice and actionable impact. Findings provide insight into 37 principles that could be used to combat tokenism and inform future guidance to meaningfully engage partners in SCI research. Consensus-based research partnership principles (i.e., norms or beliefs) were identified and could be prioritized to help support spinal cord injury (SCI) researchers and research users combat tokenism and meaningfully engage research users as partners in the co-creation of knowledge. The resulting list of recommended research partnership principles was used to inform the development of guidance to support quality partnerships between SCI researchers and research users within and outside the rehabilitation context (). Guidance supporting meaningful research partnerships may accelerate the time between discovery and use of research in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research partnerships, while promising for ensuring translation of relevant and useable findings, are challenging and need support. This study aimed to apply behavior change theory to understand and support researchers' adoption of a research partnership approach and the Integrated Knowledge Translation (IKT) Guiding Principles for conducting and disseminating spinal cord injury (SCI) research in partnership. Using an IKT approach, SCI researchers across Canada and the USA completed a survey (n = 22) and were interviewed (n = 13) to discuss barriers and facilitators to deciding to partner and follow the IKT Guiding Principles. The Behaviour Change Wheel, Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), and Mode of Delivery Ontology were used to develop the survey, interview questions, and guided analyses of interview data. COM-B and TDF factors were examined using descriptive statistics and abductive analyses of barriers and facilitators of decisions to partner and/or use the IKT Guiding Principles. TDF domains from the interview transcripts were then used to identify intervention, content, and implementation options. 142 factors (79 barriers, 63 facilitators) related to deciding to partner, and 292 factors (187 barriers, 105 facilitators) related to deciding to follow the IKT Guiding Principles were identified. Barriers to partnering or use the IKT Guiding Principles were primarily related to capability and opportunity and relevant intervention options were recommended. Interventions must support researchers in understanding how to partner and use the IKT Guiding Principles while navigating a research system, which is not always supportive of the necessary time and costs required for meaningful research partnerships., (© Society of Behavioral Medicine 2023. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background and Aims: Involving research users in collaborative research approaches may increase the relevance and utility of research findings. Our primary objectives were to (i) identify and describe characteristics of Canadian federally and provincially funded health research projects that included research users and were funded between 2011 and 2019; (ii) explore changes over time; and (iii) compare characteristics between funder required and optional partnerships., Methods: Retrospective analysis. Inclusion criteria were projects that included research users. We analyzed publicly available project variables, and coded field and type of research using established classification systems. We summarized data with descriptive statistics and compared variables across three funding year blocks and partnership requirement status., Results: We identified 1153 partnered health research projects, representing 137 fields of research and 37 types of research categories. Most projects included a required partnership (80%) and fell into health and social care services research (66%). Project length and funding amount increased from average of 24.8 months and $266 248 CAD in 2011-2013 to 31.6 months and $438 766 CAD in 2017-2019. There were significantly fewer required partnerships in 2017-2019., Conclusions: Between 2011 and 2019 Canadian federally and provincially funded partnered health research reflected primarily care services research across many fields. The observed breadth suggests that partnered health research approaches are applicable in many fields of research. Additional work to support partnered research across all types of health research (especially biomedical research) is warranted. The administration of larger grants that are funded for longer time periods may address previously identified concerns among research teams engaging in partnered research but may mean that fewer teams receive funding and risk delaying responding to time-sensitive data needs for users. Our process and findings can be used as a starting point for international comparison., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Study Design: The study used a generic qualitative design., Objectives: This article set out to garner knowledge of peer mentorship programs delivered by SCI community-based organizations by interviewing people who are directly and in-directly involved with these programs., Setting: Four provincial community-based SCI organizations across Canada. An integrated knowledge translation approach was applied in which researchers and SCI organization members co-constructed, co-conducted, and co-interpreted the study., Methods: Thirty-six individuals (N = 36, including peer mentees, mentors, family members of mentees, and organizational staff) from four provincial SCI community-based organizations were interviewed. The participants' perspectives were combined and analyzed using a thematic analysis., Results: Two overarching themes with respective subthemes were identified. Mentorship Mechanics describes the characteristics of mentors and mentees and components of the mentor-mentee relationship (e.g., establish a common ground). Under the theme Peer Mentorship Program Structures, participants described the organizational considerations for peer mentorship programs (e.g., format), and organizational responsibilities (e.g., funding; creating a peer mentorship team)., Conclusion: This study provides an in-depth look at the characteristics of peer mentorship programs that are delivered by community-based organizations in Canada and highlights the complexity of delivering such programs., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to International Spinal Cord Society.)

Study Design: A generic qualitative design., Objectives: To obtain a deeper understanding of the outcomes of spinal cord injury (SCI) peer mentorship programs delivered by community-based organizations., Setting: Peer mentorship programs of community-based SCI organizations METHODS: We interviewed 36 individuals who shared their experiences of SCI peer mentorship from the perspective of a peer mentee, peer mentor, or family member of a peer mentee/mentor, or staff of SCI community-based organizations. Interview data were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach., Results: Four overarching themes with sub-themes were identified. (1) Positive outcomes for mentees such as understanding, emotional outlet/psychological support, inspiration/hope, and belonging. (2) Positive outcomes for mentors such as gaining gratitude, confidence, pride, and personal growth. (3) Reciprocity in positive/negative outcomes for mentors and mentees, such as shared learning and a lack of connection. (4) Negative outcomes for mentors such as impact of negativity, emotional toll, and time/energy demands., Conclusions: Peer mentorship programs delivered by community-based SCI organizations are important, impactful resources for individuals with SCI who engage in these programs. These results provide insights into the variety of positive and negative outcomes linked with these programs., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to International Spinal Cord Society.)