The majority of Canadians have no realistic concept of the staggering costs of treating and caring for people with spinal-cord injuries (SCI), a new poll suggests.
An Angus Reid poll conducted for the Rick Hansen Institute shows that 87 per cent of Canadians grossly underestimated the cost of SCI on society and the health-care system, believing it was less than $100 million each year. In reality, SCI cost Canadians about $3.6 billion every year.
“(Spinal-cord injury) continues to be one of the most expensive initial and ongoing health-care costs in the entire medical system, yet most Canadians are largely unaware of SCI’s impact on individuals and society as a whole,” said Bill Barrable, CEO of the Rick Hansen Institute, in a statement.
The online survey conducted among 1,206 Canadian adults also found that more than half of Canadians (52 per cent) severely underestimated the unemployment rate for people with spinal-cord injuries.
The poll also found that 89 per cent of Canadians support the continued investment in related healthcare research and best practices.


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