Recognising the need to disseminate information about comprehensive management of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), the International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS) took the initiative to develop elearnSCI.org, a web-based teaching and educational resource. elearnSCI.org specifically addresses the current lack of professional development opportunities for medical and paramedical professionals involved in SCI Management due to the limited access of up-to-date SCI training and learning materials/ resources. The content has been developed by 332 leading SCI professionals and educationists from around the world and reflects realities in both high and low resource settings. The content has been informed by the most up-to-date SCI research and as such will be of relevance to students, those new to the field of SCI and to SCI practitioners everywhere. The Asian Spinal Cord Network (ASCoN), Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC), Livability and the Lifetime Care and Support Scheme partnered with ISCoS to develop this resource, with financial support from Access to Health Care.
The aim of this resource is to provide comprehensive information on SCI management to students and clinicians from all medical and paramedical disciplines involved in SCI care. The educational resource comprises 7 modules each consisting of various sub-modules. The "Overview for the whole team" module provides basic information of SCI Management for all disciplines involved in Spinal Injury Management. Five other modules cater to the needs of various disciplines i.e. Doctors, Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists / Assistive Technologists, and Psychologists / Social Workers / Peer Counsellors. It is recommended that users go through the first module, "Overview for the whole team" before they access their discipline specific modules. The 7th module provides information on various aspects pertaining to the prevention of SCI.
Each sub-module covers a specific component of SCI management and includes:
- A presentation giving an overview of the topic
- Activity based learning exercises
- References
- Self Assessment questions
The project was approved in October, 2010 during the ISCoS Annual Scientific Meeting in New Delhi and work began immediately thereafter. 332 experts of ISCoS and various affiliated societies from 36 countries have been involved in compiling the resource through 28 subcommittees, each working on a particular sub-module. This widespread participation has given it a global perspective. The consensus document for each sub-module has been reviewed by the Education Committee and Scientific Committee of ISCoS. An Editorial Committee comprising 23 experts met in New Delhi in April 2012 to review and edit the sub-modules. Editorial work continued online thereafter.
The web platform for hosting the educational resource has been developed at New Delhi by Grapes Software. This company was shortlisted after a detailed process of evaluation of various interested applicants. The web platform is underpinned by a sophisticated interface to enable ISCoS administrators to be largely independent of ongoing IT support on completion of the project. The interface enables the administrators to upload, move, copy and change the content of any screen and all interactive activities. This feature was considered important for the long-term viability of the project.
ElearnSCI.org was launched during the International Spinal Cord Society's 51st Annual Scientific Meeting in London on 4th September 2012 but will continue to evolve in the coming years.
ElearnSCI.org is an initiative of the Education Committee of the International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS).
VISION
As the authority on the management of spinal cord injuries, ISCoS will aspire to promote free and easy access to relevant educational resources on “Comprehensive Management of Spinal Cord Injuries” amongst health professionals involved in SCI management and also amongst people living with spinal cord injury, their families, health care providers, policy makers and the community in general.
MISSION
The mission of elearnSCI.org is to improve the quality of lives of people living with spinal cord injury by disseminating awareness about spinal cord injury prevention and comprehensive management globally.