Pressure injuries for people with a spinal cord injury: exploring lived experience and identifying preferences for assistive mobile application technologies for community management

Published 14th September 2026

Purpose
Pressure injuries (PI) are a common secondary health complication for people with a spinal cord injury (SCI), and can have devastating physical, psychological, and quality of life impacts. A large proportion of PIs are sustained in community settings. This study explores the potential role of smartphone applications (apps) to assist with PI self-management for people with SCI living in the community.

Method
Twelve people with SCI participated in a semi-structured audio-recorded interview to understand their lived experience of PI, routines and daily strategies, and to explore how apps could be developed to support skin management for PI in community settings.

Results
Interviews were thematically analysed using the five-step Framework Method employing a hybrid inductive-deductive approach. Three themes emerged that were temporally centred across: (1) navigating and understanding the complex, ongoing, and multifaceted demands of skin management; (2) the distressing experience of suspecting and finding a PI; and (3) the long and challenging road to recovering from a PI. Findings suggest that smartphone apps were perceived as a potentially useful tool for skin and PI management, with preferences for developing and refining features and usages to augment and extend upon pre-existing skin and PI management techniques.

Conclusions
Smartphone apps could be an acceptable, implementable, and efficacious knowledge translation and self-management tool. However, development of these technologies requires the integration of inclusive design principles and solutions that effectively address psychological, physical, and occupational aspects of skin and PI management for people with SCI.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

Development of smartphone based assistive technologies should centre the needs of people with lived experience, and these solutions should be co-created to ensure that apps are developed to augment daily strategies and realities.
PI management may require a holistic approach, which considers wound healing within the context of psychological, social, occupational, and physical wellbeing.
People with SCI may develop knowledge and skills for PI prevention at different rates with varying outcomes. Teaching PI prevention may require a range of educational and practical strategies to be delivered progressively and reinforced over time.

 

Citation

Bennett, J., Walker, J., Gustafsson, L., Brough, R., Lead, R., Dent, D., … Geraghty, T. (2026). Pressure injuries for people with a spinal cord injury: exploring lived experience and identifying preferences for assistive mobile application technologies for community management . Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2026.2728604

Authors

---

  Back to Project