VA Gastrointestinal (GI) Quality of Life Survey

Spinal cord injury (SCI) often results in reduced bowel function and regularity, leading to a decrease in quality of life for those who are affected. Evidence-based research has indicated that, when surveyed, individuals with SCI express a greater reduction in quality of life derived from their bowel routine than able-bodied subjects. In addition, the extent of reduction in quality of life has a direct relationship with the level of Injury. Those with tetraplegia score worse than those with paraplegia and paraplegics score worse than controls. The development of an adequate quality of life questionnaire is needed to effectively identify the impact of bowel care on quality of life in patients with SCI compared to able-bodied controls. The purpose of this study is to determine the discriminatory ability of the survey for various diagnoses such as SCI, CVA, TBI, chronic back pain, radiculopathy from the Rehabilitation Service and able bodied persons.