Spinal Cord Injury and Medication Management: A Descriptive Qualitative Study Exploring the Experiences of Community-dwelling Adults in Ontario

Spinal cord injury or dysfunction (SCI/Dys) is a life-altering event that is often accompanied by numerous secondary complications, multimorbidity, accelerated aging and subsequent polypharmacy. This descriptive qualitative study aimed to explore the attitudes, beliefs and experiences of prescribed and unprescribed medications among community-dwelling adults with SCI/Dys living in Ontario. This study highlighted three main themes: the disruptive nature of medications, the fear of negative outcomes and the importance of medication self-management strategies. Findings showed that medication management is a complex and multifaceted process that does not occur in a linear fashion, and in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of persons with SCI/Dys experiences with medication-taking, the lens through which these experiences are situated within must be broadened. Based on the findings from this study, recommendations for future practice, policy and research have been suggested.M.Sc.2020-07-26 00:00:0