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Description

Occupational therapy (OT) practitioners are uniquely positioned to support individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) in developing effective bowel and bladder management (BBM) routines. However, most existing literature approaches BBM from a medical perspective, offering limited guidance on how to translate occupation-based strategies into OT practice. This lack of discipline-specific resources contributes to reduced confidence among generalist practitioners and hinders the consistent implementation of BBM interventions across inpatient and community settings. To address this gap, a nine-part educational video series was developed to enhance OT practitioners’ knowledge, clinical reasoning, and confidence in delivering BBM interventions for clients with SCI. The series covers foundational neurophysiology of the bowel and bladder systems, outlines OT’s distinct role in BBM, and emphasizes promoting independence and participation in toileting-related activities. Developed through literature review, clinical fieldwork observations, and collaboration with a medical supplier, the series incorporates SCI functional groupings based on hand function to guide expectations for independence and intervention planning. It also reframes the evaluation process by introducing non-standardized assessment questions that can be easily integrated into routine practice, followed by guidance on intervention planning. Recommendations for adaptive equipment and catheter types are tailored to client-specific factors and barriers. The series highlights various catheter options and introduces practical tools to support real-world carryover. Its modular, stand-alone format allows for flexible, on-demand learning. By positioning OT as a key contributor in SCI care, this project strengthens the profession’s role in BBM routines and addresses a critical gap in occupation-based literature.

Publication Date

Spring 4-9-2025

Publisher

University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences

Keywords

Occupational therapy, Bowel and bladder management, Spinal cord injury

Medical Subject Headings

Occupational therapy, Bowel and bladder management, Spinal cord injury

Disciplines

Occupational Therapy

Comments

Poster presented at the in-person OTD Capstone Symposium, held at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences on April 24, 2025.

The Role of Occupational Therapy in Bladder and Bowel Management for Individuals With Spinal Cord Injuries: An Educational Video Series

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