New peer support study underway

A study exploring how best to provide peer support to people with newly acquired spinal cord impairments is one of the many projects underway within BAIL at the moment.
This is currently being worked on by Dr Rachelle Martin and research assistant Josh Caldwell. This study is being done in conjunction with two spinal peer support providers – the New Zealand Spinal Trust and Spinal Support New Zealand (formerly known as TASC).

This project is aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of peer support for people with newly acquired spinal cord impairments, who are under going rehabilitation at either of the two spinal units in NZ. In May we will start recruitment and data collection for this project by asking people who are near discharge from either of the units if they would like to complete a survey and/or participate in an interview about their experiences of peer support. We will also ask them if they could do the same 6-months after their discharge. Data collected by the peer support providers will be collected and analysed to better understand who peer support is being provided to, and how it is being provided. This is so we can see where, when and how peer support was best provided and where there is room for enhancement in order to maximize the effectiveness of the peer support provided.

Contact Rachelle if you have any questions or comments.
See more information about the project HERE.