Published Paper Details:

Caregivers of Non-Ambulatory Spinal Cord Injury (NASCI) patients experience considerable physical and emotional burden, which affects their coping ability. Nurse-initiated M-Health interventions offer an innovative and accessible approach to provide continuous education, counselling, and support, thereby reducing burden and enhancing coping. The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-initiated M-Health intervention on perceived burden and coping ability of primary caregivers of non-ambulatory SCI patients. A pre-experimental one-group pre-test post-test design was adopted. Sixty primary caregivers were selected through purposive sampling at Ganga Rehabilitation Centre, Coimbatore. Tools included a demographic proforma, Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), and Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) scale. The intervention consisted of a four-week nurse-initiated M-Health program delivered via What Sapp, Mobile phone without internet connection including education, reminders, and motivational support. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The intervention significantly reduced caregiver burden and enhanced coping ability (p < 0.001). A strong negative correlation was observed between burden and coping (r = -0.600). Nurse-initiated M-Health interventions are effective, feasible, and scalable strategies to reduce caregiver burden and strengthen coping among caregivers of non-ambulatory SCI patients in India.