Barriers and facilitators to implementing peer mentorship programs for individuals with spinal cord injury into rehabilitation hospitals: a multiple case study
Creators: name: Shi, Zhiyang
name: Gainforth, Heather L.
name: Thomas, Aliki
name: Bloom, Gordon A.
name: Sweet, Shane N.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Cancer

description: To identify and compare barriers and facilitators to implementing a spinal cord injury (SCI) peer mentorship program at two rehabilitation hospitals. 24 participants from the two rehabilitation hospitals participated − 10 were from China and 14 were from Canada. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were used to collect data. A cross-case analysis based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was conducted. At an individual level, four common facilitators for both hospitals were: <i>engaging patients with SCI</i>, <i>engaging health professionals</i>, <i>high-level leaders</i> providing financial and instrumental support, and increasing health professionals’ <i>motivation</i> to implement the program. Two common barriers were health professionals’ <i>low capability</i> and <i>opportunity</i> to implement the program. At an organizational level, one common facilitator was a <i>team culture</i> characterized by openness to innovation and a strong commitment to prioritizing patients’ needs. For the Canadian hospital, their <i>partnership and connections</i> with a community-based SCI organization and collaborative <i>work infrastructure</i> were facilitators. For the Chinese hospital, team separation within the local <i>work infrastructure</i> was a barrier. Multiple barriers and facilitators to implementing SCI peer mentorship programs were identified in two culturally distinct contexts. Assessing organizational needs and identifying available resources are key pre-implementation processes for rehabilitation hospitals to implement SCI peer mentorship programs. The in- and out-patient rehabilitation period is an ideal time to establish peer mentorship relationships for individuals with spinal cord injury.Implementation of peer mentorship programs in rehabilitation hospitals relies on interprofessional collaboration between high-level leaders, health professionals, and spinal cord injury mentors who can take on different roles in the implementation process.Identifying available resources, such as partnerships with community-based spinal cord injury organization and human resources to lead the efforts, will facilitate the imitation of the implementation process. The in- and out-patient rehabilitation period is an ideal time to establish peer mentorship relationships for individuals with spinal cord injury. Implementation of peer mentorship programs in rehabilitation hospitals relies on interprofessional collaboration between high-level leaders, health professionals, and spinal cord injury mentors who can take on different roles in the implementation process. Identifying available resources, such as partnerships with community-based spinal cord injury organization and human resources to lead the efforts, will facilitate the imitation of the implementation process.