Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

08/17/2026

What happens after spinal cord injury?
researchers are studying how rehabilitation length of stay, rehabilitation intensity and other factors may influence outcomes for people with around the world. The goal: better evidence to help people achieve the best possible outcomes after injury. Learn more about our collaborative, international research:

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab has received a $4.2 million, 5-year grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) to lead an international study exploring how differences in inpatient rehabilitation length of stay (LOS) after spinal cord injury (SC...

08/14/2026

"From My Perspective" is a blog featuring posts by people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) from around the world. Each writer shares their inpatient rehabilitation experience and what life was like when they went home.

Hear from:
👉A retired forensic scientist in Australia who tackled rehabilitation head-on
👉A young woman returning to her farm in England
👉A new mom adapting to life in Canada
👉A young man going to work in The Netherlands after an accident in India
👉A U.S. veteran masking pain with a brave face
👉A British executive who works for an SCI non-profit

Read the blog at https://bit.ly/3Tk0Ysc

08/13/2026

The Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) is a clinical assessment used to evaluate a person’s ability to maintain balance while walking under different conditions. For rehabilitation professionals, the DGI can be a valuable tool for assessing functional mobility, identifying areas of difficulty, monitoring progress, and helping guide individualized treatment. See it and its accompanying infographic on the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab Rehabilitation Measures Database: https://bit.ly/4zzeb4j

08/11/2026

Health outcomes after amputation aren’t the same for everyone. In this episode of our podcast, INside the OUTcomes, Emily Dinelli, PhD, CPO, discusses health disparities among Black individuals after amputation and how unmet needs, access to care and support can impact outcomes.

Listen to the episode: https://bit.ly/4qel72n

Emily is a certified prosthetist orthotist and former graduate student researcher with the Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research (CROR) at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. She also shares how coordinated, multidisciplinary care could help address disparities and advance health equity.

08/06/2026

The Coma Recovery Scale-Revised is a standardized neurobehavioral assessment used for individuals experiencing disorders of consciousness. It is used to assist health care practitioners and providers in diagnosing different levels of consciousness, establishing therapeutic treatment plans, and monitoring recovery. See the updated measure summary and more than 600 others on the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab Rehabilitation Measures Database: https://bit.ly/3TFM032

08/05/2026

What does it take to deliver truly person-centered care in home and community-based services? Our scoping review of gray literature identified the core workforce competencies that support person-centered practice, along with the barriers and facilitators to putting them into action. Read the paper here: https://bit.ly/4wFxRBk

National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC)

08/04/2026

Explore our collection of policy briefs covering topics including long-term services and supports, the Quality Measure Set, , and more. Select briefs are also available in plain language to make key information more accessible. https://bit.ly/4pSVgg2
Thanks to ADvancing States for their leadership developing these!

07/31/2026

To help clinicians, researchers and healthcare leaders stay informed about emerging evidence, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab publishes "In a Nutshell," a monthly journal review series written by our expert scientists and clinicians. This month's edition, authored by Allen Heinemann, PhD, director of the Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research, examines how inpatient rehabilitation facilities are increasingly evaluated based on patient outcomes—and asks a fundamental question: Are we measuring what really matters?
Read it here: https://bit.ly/4yYeAwP

07/30/2026

The Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) is a quantitative measure of upper extremity motor ability using timed functional tasks and strength tasks completed with common household objects. By evaluating both the speed and quality of movement, the WMFT helps clinicians measure recovery, monitor progress over time and support evidence-based rehabilitation for individuals with neurologic conditions.
See it and more than 600 other measure summaries on the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab Rehabilitation Measures Database: https://bit.ly/4pQuJAj

Thank you to students at Concordia University Wisconsin led by Jessica Schmidt, OTD. OTR/L, assistant professor of occupational therapy, for updating this measure summary!

07/29/2026

The Paralyzed Veterans of America has released the updated Clinical Practice Guidelines on Outcomes Following Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury. Developed by the Consortium for Spinal Cord Medicine and led by PVA, this second edition updates the original guidelines published in 1999 with the latest evidence-based recommendations to support improved functional, psychosocial, and long-term outcomes for people with spinal cord injury.

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab's Allen Heinemann, PhD, director, served as a member of the guideline revision panel, and Allison Kessler, MD, Section Chief of the Renée Crown Center for Spinal Cord Innovation, served as a reviewer for this important update.

Read the guidelines: https://bit.ly/4vZhhvo