Respiratory Management Following Spinal Cord Injury - vi

RESPIRATORY MANAGEMENT FOLLOWING SPINAL CORD INJURY

Acknowledgments
The chairman and members of the respiratory 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 the staff of the numerous medical facilities and spinal cord injury rehabilitation centers who contributed their time and expertise to the development of this guideline. Douglas McCrory, MD, and colleagues at Duke Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC), Center for Clinical Health Policy Research in Durham, North Carolina, served as consultant methodologists. They masterfully conducted the initial and secondarylevel 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 update and expansion to the original scope of work in the EPC Evidence Report, Treatment of Pulmonary Disease Following Cervical Spinal Cord Injury, developed under contract 290-97-0014 with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Members of the consortium steering committee, representing 19 professional, payer, and consumer organizations, were joined in the guideline development process by 30 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 hopefully achieved through the guideline development process. William H. Archambault, Esq., conducted a comprehensive analysis of the legal and health policy issues associated with this complex, multifaceted topic. In addition, the consortium and development panel are most appreciative for the excellent consultation and editing of the education section provided by Theresa Chase, RN, director of patient education at Craig Hospital, Englewood, Colorado. The guideline development panel is grateful for the many technical support services provided by various departments of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA). 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, Kelly Saxton, and Karen Long in the Communications Department 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 (CPG). 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.; Executive Director Delatorro L. McNeal; Deputy Executive Director John C. Bollinger; and Director of Research, Education, and Practice Guidelines Thomas E. Stripling. PVA’s generous financial support has made the CPG consortium and its guideline development process a successful venture.

Respiratory Management Following Spinal Cord Injury

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