The International Spinal Cord Injury Survey in Iran (InSCI-IR)

Background and Aim: Spinal cord injury patients are faced with many neglected side effects that threaten the health, wealth, and life of the patients and their families. For this purpose, the international spinal cord injury survey (InSCI) was conducted in 2017 by adding 22 countries to follow up the patients facing spinal cord injury. Iran as a developing country was added to the survey in 2022 focusing on the catastrophic health expenditures of spinal cord injury patients. The survey is named: The International spinal cord injury survey in Iran (InSCI -IR). Methods and Materials/Patients: This study will be performed in Guilan Province, Iran and the primary data of the patients will be gathered from the Poursina Hospital of Rasht and the Iranian National Registry of Spinal Cord Injury Patients. InSCI-IR contains two parts; the general questionnaire which gathers the data for the InSCI and the specific questionnaire which gathers data for calculating catastrophic expenditures. Results: It is estimated that 600 patients will participate in the study and more than 200 cases are faced with paraplegia or tetraplegia. The international questionnaire contains 11 sections on the living situation of patients with SCI, sociodemographic questions, injury characteristics, mental and physical health, feeling and work conditions, environmental factors, and access to health services. The catastrophic expenditure part contains questions about the cost of treatment, medication, caregiving, transportation, and household income loss related to spinal cord injury, wealth index, and household total income. Both parts will be edited in psychometrics processes.