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Final Program


Final Congress Guide

Specialty Development

900 Section - Exploring PM&R Residents’ Baseline Barriers to Recommending Adaptive Sport for Patients with Spinal Cord Injury: A Qualitative Study

Wednesday, May 20, 2026
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM PT
Objectives : Adaptive sport participation supports physical, psychological, and social wellbeing along with improvement in quality of life and health outcomes (Ginis et al., 2012; Latimer-Cheung, 2013). Clear provider guidance has also been identified as a key facilitator of adaptive sport engagement among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) (Baluwet & Willick, 2012). Despite these benefits, little is known about how physiatrists promote disability sport. This study examined the factors that Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) residents encounter when considering recommending adaptive sport to patients with SCI.  

Design: Seventeen PM&R residents from Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education–accredited programs across the United States participated in semi-structured interviews.  Residents were selected because their training experiences shape long term behaviors (Lane et al., 2017).Transcripts were analyzed thematically using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) framework. 

Results: Residents described three key barriers shaping their ability to recommend adaptive sport. First, limited exposure to and insufficient formal training regarding adaptive sports reduced confidence in discussing adaptive sport opportunities, program availability, and safety considerations. Second, perceived patient readiness—including motivation, emotional adjustment, transportation, caregiver support, and financial concerns—often influenced whether residents viewed a recommendation as realistic or appropriate. Third, ambiguity in interdisciplinary roles created uncertainty regarding who is responsible for initiating adaptive sport referrals, contributing to inconsistent communication and follow-through. 

Conclusion: These findings highlight opportunities to strengthen the integration of adaptive sport within rehabilitation medicine. Embedding adaptive sport education earlier and more consistently in residency curricula, expanding access to resource directories, and establishing clear interdisciplinary referral pathways may enhance residents’ confidence and increase the frequency and quality of adaptive sport recommendations. Given the long-term benefits of disability sports, ensuring physicians are equipped to initiate effective referrals may promote more equitable access and support disability sport as a routine component of lifelong rehabilitation care.