Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

06/16/2026

The summer issue of CROR Outcomes is here! https://bit.ly/44bwkq5

Read about:
- How UIC College of Applied Health Sciences students contribute to the Rehabilitation Measures Database
- What focus groups of people with spinal cord injury, their care partners and clinicians revealed about readiness to return home after inpatient rehabilitation for SCI
- Our local and international collaborators working on projects related to spinal cord injury
- Updates to the Rehabilitation Measures Database
- And more!

06/16/2026

We're proud to see collaborative research from the Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (SCIMS), including contributions from the Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, highlighted in this article.

Our research found that more than half of wheelchair users surveyed experienced a need for repairs, which often resulted in significant financial burdens, prolonged disruptions lasting more than two weeks and reduced participation in daily activities both inside and outside the home. The study also revealed that repair-related challenges disproportionately affect individuals with fewer financial resources, highlighting the need for higher equipment standards, faster repair services and better user training on wheelchair maintenance and repair. Read more about the findings: https://bit.ly/4e8FsSk

The wheelchair repair market in Massachusetts is dominated by two companies.

06/15/2026

Congratulations to graduate research assistant Emily Dinelli on her doctoral degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine! director, Allen Heinemann attended her hooding ceremony as one of her mentors.

During her time with , she has made invaluable contributions to our research projects through her dedication, insight and commitment to advancing knowledge.

Her doctoral dissertation focused on health disparities among Black amputees, an important area of research that helps deepen our understanding of inequities in healthcare and outcomes. Stay tuned for an episode of INside the OUTcomes: A Rehabilitation Research Podcast, where we discuss her research.

06/12/2026

An important study highlighting trends in over 50 years. research scientist, Anne Deutsch, RN, PhD, was a contributor to the study representing the Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System (MRSCICS) at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. MRSCICS contributes data on people with SCI who undergo rehabilitation at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab to the National Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Database at UAB Spinal Cord Injury Model System. This data, on demographics, injury characteristics and outcomes, helps illuminate trends in SCI over time, leading to new policies, treatments and insights.

New in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

This article explores evolving demographics and injury characteristics of traumatic spinal cord injury in the United States from 1972–2024, highlighting long-term trends relevant to rehabilitation care and research.

Read more: https://www.archives-pmr.org/article/S0003-9993(26)00746-X/abstract

06/11/2026

The Reading Comprehension Battery for Aphasia (RCBA) is a widely used assessment that measures reading comprehension in individuals with , from word recognition to sentence and paragraph understanding. The RCBA helps clinicians identify reading strengths and challenges, guide treatment planning and monitor progress over time.
See the measure summary and more than 600 others on the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab Rehabilitation Measures Database: https://bit.ly/3RZAQ8p

06/10/2026

research scientist Anne Deutsch, RN, PhD, and colleagues have published a new paper ACRM Journals - The Archives of PM&R and ARRCT Open Access: https://bit.ly/4uvwH9Y

A study of 37,866 cases across 31 Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems centers shows major shifts in traumatic spinal cord injury over 50 years:

Key changes:

- Injury age increased (28.7 → 44.7 years), with far more cases in adults ≥65
- Falls now account for nearly one-third of injuries, while vehicle crashes declined
- Violence-related injuries have risen recently, especially in younger adults
- Higher rates of high cervical and motor incomplete injuries
More individuals with post-secondary education

Overall, traumatic SCI is increasingly an older-adult, fall-related condition, with growing implications for geriatric care, prevention, and rehabilitation planning.

UAB Spinal Cord Injury Model System Kessler Foundation Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

06/09/2026

On this episode of INside the OUTcomes, we explore assistive technology with a focus on wheelchair breakdowns, repairs and real-world considerations for people who rely on wheelchairs. https://bit.ly/3StMYi2

Our guests are Lynn Worobey, PhD, DPT, ATP, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh Model Center on Spinal Cord Injury and principal investigator of the multi-center Equity and Assistive Technology for Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (EQuATe) project, and Lee Tempest, a research coordinator on the EQuATe project and a longtime wheelchair user.

The conversation highlights gaps in preventive maintenance, training and insurance coverage and makes a compelling case for shifting from a reactive to a proactive system of wheelchair service provision. The episode also explores how EQuATe data are informing right-to-repair legislation and policy efforts aimed at improving equity in assistive technology.

Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC)

06/08/2026

06/04/2026

The Stroke Impact Scale (SIS) is a patient-reported outcome measure designed to capture how stroke affects a person's daily life, including physical function, memory and thinking, communication, emotion, participation and overall quality of life.

By focusing on the individual's perspective, the SIS helps clinicians and researchers better understand recovery, identify ongoing challenges and tailor interventions to support meaningful outcomes. See it and more than 600 other measures on the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab Rehabilitation Measures Database: https://bit.ly/4uWckUg

06/04/2026

The Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is proud to have contributed to the research featured in the 2026 Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation - TSCIR SCIMS Special Edition. Our investigators contributed to several important publications advancing the understanding of spinal cord injury rehabilitation and outcomes, including:
• Evaluating Psychometric Characteristics of the SCI-QOL Ability to Participate and Satisfaction With Social Roles and Activities
• The Association Between Psychoactive Substances Usage and Unintentional Injuries After Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury
• Effects of Depression and Resilience During Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation on Pain Outcomes One Year After Spinal Cord Injury
• Nontraumatic Spinal Cord Injury Etiology and Rehabilitation Outcomes: SCI Model Systems Pilot Study Data

We are honored to collaborate with colleagues across the Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems network to advance research that improves the lives, health, and long-term outcomes of individuals living with spinal cord injury.

Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems

Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, Volume 32, Supplement 1 (2026), showcases research studies produced by Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems researchers, reflecting collaborative and coordinated efforts to advance rehabilitation practice and outcomes for people with spinal cord injury. This....