Bladder Managment for Adults with Spinal Cord Injury - vi

BLADDER MANAGEMENT FOR ADULTS WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY

Acknowledgments

he chairman and members of the bladder management guideline development panel wish to express special appreciation to the individuals and professional organizations who are members of the Consortium for Spinal Cord Medicine and to the expert clinicians and health-care providers who reviewed the draft document. Special thanks go to the consumers, advocacy organizations, and staff of the numerous medical facilities and spinal cord injury rehabilitation centers who contributed their time and expertise to the development of this guideline. Karen Schoelles, MD, and colleagues at MetaWorks, Inc., Medford, Massachusetts, served as consultant methodologists. They masterfully conducted the initial and secondary-level literature searches, evaluated the quality and strength of the scientific evidence, constructed evidence tables, and graded the quality of research for all identified literature citations. This included an evaluation of currently used grading schema and development of a new, innovative method for grading specialized spinal cord injury and related rehabilitation research. Members of the consortium steering committee, representing 22 professional, payer, and consumer organizations, were joined in the guideline development process by more than 35 expert reviewers. Through their critical analysis and thoughtful comments, the recommendations were refined and additional supporting evidence from the scientific literature was identified. The quality of the technical assistance by these dedicated reviewers contributed significantly to the professional consensus building that is achieved through the guideline development process. Attorney William H. Archambault conducted a comprehensive analysis of the legal and health policy issues associated with this complex, multifaceted topic. The guideline development panel is grateful for the many technical support services provided by various departments of the Paralyzed Veterans of America. In particular, the panel recognizes J. Paul Thomas and Kim S. Nalle in the consortium coordinating office for their help in organizing and managing the process; James A. Angelo and Kelly Saxton in the PVA Communications Program for their guidance in writing, formatting, and creating art; and medical editor Joellen Talbot for her excellent technical review and editing of the clinical practice guideline. Appreciation is expressed for the steadfast commitment and enthusiastic advocacy of the entire PVA board of directors and of PVA’s senior officers, including National President Randy L. Pleva, Sr.; Immediate Past President Joseph L. Fox, Sr.; Acting Executive Director Homer S. Townsend, Jr.; Acting Deputy Executive Director Louis Irvin; and Director of Research, Education, and Practice Guidelines Thomas E. Stripling. Their generous financial support has made the Consortium for Spinal Cord Medicine and its guideline development process a success.

Bladder Managment for Adults with Spinal Cord Injury

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Bladder Managment for Adults with Spinal Cord Injury