this article and any supplementary material should be cited as follows: tung jy, stead b, mann w,...

This article and any supplementary material should be cited as follows: Tung JY, Stead B, Mann W, Pham B, Popovic MR. Assistive technologies for self-managed pressure ulcer prevention in spinal cord injury: A scoping review. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2015;52(2):XX–XX.http://dx.doi.org/10.1682/JRRD.2014.02.0064

Slideshow ProjectDOI:10.1682/JRRD.2014.02.0064JSP

Assistive technologies for self-managed pressure ulcer prevention in spinal cord

injury: A scoping review

James Y. Tung, PhD; Brent Stead, PhD, MBA; William Mann, MBA; Ba’ Pham, PhD; Milos R. Popovic, PhD



• Aim– Review key concepts and appraise current technology

related to self-managed prevention of pressure ulcers (PUs) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).

• Relevance– PUs in individuals with SCI are a persistent and costly

problem. – Continued development of new technologies that

support and sustain self-managed care is an important prevention strategy.



Method• Literature search of PubMed and Web of Science:– Articles published between 1975 and 2012.

– Search terms: {“pressure ulcer” AND “spinal cord injury”} AND {“self-management” OR “technology”}.



Results• Identified 4 technology categories that support self-

management.– Computer-based education:

• Demonstrated improved short-term knowledge gains (2 studies).– Interface pressure mapping:

• Demonstrated improved adherence to pressure-relief schedules up to 3 mo (5 studies).

– Electrical stimulation:• Confirmed improved tissue tolerance after 8 wk of training (3

studies).– Telemedicine programs:

• Demonstrated improved independence and reduced hospital visits over 6 mo (2 studies).



Conclusion• Self-management technologies demonstrated

low-to-moderate effectiveness in addressing a subset of risk factors.

• Effectiveness of technologies in preventing PUs is limited due to a lack of incidence reporting.

• Recommendation: – Develop integrated technologies that address multiple

risk factors.

this article and any supplementary material should be cited as follows: tung jy, stead b, mann w,...

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