Qualitative Evaluation of A Comprehensive Online Wellness Program Among People with Spinal Cord Injury

Research Objectives: To investigate the perceptions of people with SCI who participated in an eight-week, group-based telewellness program (MENTOR -- Mindfulness, Exercise, and Nutrition To Optimize Resilience).

Design: This was a retrospective, qualitative program evaluation conducted via telephone interviews.

Setting: Participants who completed MENTOR were contacted via telephone to participate in a program evaluation interview. Participants were located in several cities across the U.S.

Participants: 14 individuals with SCI who completed a free, home-based telewellness program. Eligibility criteria included: 1) 18 to 70 years of age; 2) internet access; and 3) ability to access the program materials independently.

Interventions: The entire MENTOR program was conducted remotely and included no in-person interactions. Several months after completing MENTOR, participants were contacted via telephone to participate in a program evaluation interview. The interview lasted no longer than 30 minutes and included approximately 10 questions. The questions were semi-structured and asked participants about their overall thoughts of the program, likes/dislikes, potential benefits, and general questions pertaining to the 3 core components of the program (exercise, mindfulness, and nutrition).

Main Outcome Measures: Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Codes were generated iteratively across each transcription. In consideration of the small sample size of the study, the coders aimed to generate a small number of rich themes with only one code level per theme to enhance the likelihood of saturation.

Results: Qualitative analysis yielded 5 themes: 1) MENTOR provided an intimate online community for personal growth through peer support; 2) socialization, relationship building, and the program’s holistic nature were enjoyable aspects of MENTOR; 3) tailored approaches from knowledgeable, personable coaches contributed to high program quality; 4) program components facilitated maintenance of health decision-making behaviors; and 5) improved psychological wellbeing related to the mindfulness classes.

Conclusions: MENTOR appears to benefit the physical and mental health of people with SCI. As a government-sponsored program, there is significant opportunity to continue building from these preliminary findings in future iterations of the program.

Author(s) Disclosures: The authors report no conflicts of interest.