National SCIMS Database

The National Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (SCIMS) Database was established in 1973 as a repository of data collected through the collaborative efforts of federally funded SCI Model System Centers. There are 14 SCI Model System Centers currently contributing data to the Database, with a total of 29 Centers contributing data since the Database’s inception. Through the end of 2020, there were 34,734 persons who have sustained traumatic SCI enrolled into the National SCIMS Database. This makes it the world's largest and longest active SCI research database and the world’s most extensive source of available information about the characteristics and life course of individuals with SCI. There are individuals enrolled into the National SCIMS Database who have now been followed for 40 years after injury.

RLANRC continues to serve a large SCI population with over 250 new admissions each year and a current patient population of over 4000 individuals, which historically has contributed an average of 50 participants per year to the National SCIMS Database. The establishment of the PCMH for SCI and ORCHID provides RLANRC with a DHS-wide electronic health record system that further enhances our research capacity.  

 

RLANRC serves a relatively large minority (over 50% of our participants are Hispanic) and financially disadvantaged population who often lack permanent home addresses and, in some cases, are homeless.181 While following this population presents some unique challenges, we have developed innovative retention approaches specific to a socioeconomically challenged community and to a variety of ethnic and racial minority groups.