Primary care of people with spinal cord injury: scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a scoping review of the empirical evidence between 1980 and 2009 regarding primary care for adults with spinal cord injury (SCI). DATA SOURCES: Peer-reviewed journals were searched from 1980 to 2009 using CINAHL, PubMed-MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Social Sciences Abstracts, and Social Work Abstracts. STUDY SELECTION: The key word-driven electronic search identified 42 articles on primary care and SCI. Inclusion criteria narrowed the set to 21 articles that were published in English, that had a sample size of greater than 3, and that offered empirical analysis. SYNTHESIS: Approximately 90% of people with SCI identify family physicians as their regular doctors; 63% have SCI specialists. People with long-term SCI develop complex rubrics for navigating their personal health care systems.…