Facilitators and barriers in the rehabilitation process described by persons with spinal cord injury: a deductive-inductive analysis from the Finnish spinal cord injury study

Background: This study aimed to determine the factors that promote and facilitate rehabilitation as well as challenges and possible barriers perceived by people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Materials and Methods: This study was part of a larger, mixed-method Finnish Spinal Cord Injury (FinSCI) study. We interviewed 45 persons with SCI representing participants from the FinSCI study and used a qualitative approach and a deductive-inductive content analysis to analyse the data. Results: We identified 28 facilitators and 19 barriers in the rehabilitation process. The majority of the facilitators and barriers were related to the rehabilitation planning phase. There were more barriers than facilitators in applying for and accessing treatment or rehabilitation and during the implementation of rehabilitation. Facilitators consisted of successful, realized, or planned treatments or rehabilitation events; clear goals; multidisciplinary teamwork; support and monitoring in various changing situations; and the rehabilitees’ own capabilities and activities, among other things. The barriers included delays, challenges and deficiencies in the planning and implementation of treatment or rehabilitation; the lack of different skills; and resources of rehabilitation professionals; and different personal factors, which made the rehabilitation process cumbersome. Conclusions: Good communication and interaction between stakeholders are crucial for the progress of rehabilitation.