Workshop 5
Tracks
Breakout 2
| Friday, October 9, 2026 |
| 11:15 AM - 12:30 PM |
Overview
A ISCoS Psychosocial SIG Workshop about challenging conversations: delivering and dealing with breaking the diagnosis and prognosis of spinal cord injury, and the role of the multi-disciplinary team.
Details
Communicating a SCI diagnosis can be challenging. Commonly the role of the physician, patient’s and family’s reactions often inform the communication dynamic with the wider multi-disciplinary team. Using principles of patient-centred communication in context to sensitive and difficult conversations, we will luminate the importance of the healthcare setting and cultural context to these conversations and learn from each other’s shared and varied challenges and wins. Suitable for anyone supporting people with SCI and their families.
Presenter (only the submitting author is listed below; co-presenters, where applicable, will be listed in the conference app)
Dr Leanne Rees
Research Officer
Murdoch Children's Research Institute
A ISCoS Psychosocial SIG Workshop about challenging conversations: delivering and dealing with breaking the diagnosis and prognosis of spinal cord injury, and the role of the multi-disciplinary team.
Biography
Dr Leanne Rees is a Physiotherapist whose current research is investigating and creating resources to support clinicians initiate challenging conversations around therapeutic misinformation.
Mr Antonio Vecchio is a Community and Consumer Engagement Manager at the Spinal Research Institute who specialises in trauma's social impacts and promotes consumer involvement in spinal cord injury research.
Dr Yan Lin is Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing whose research focuses on the psychosocial and mental health aspects of individuals with SCI, aiming to promote quality of life and overall well-being.
Dr Shanu Srivastava is a Senior Psychologist with over 20 years experience supporting people with SCI with trauma, depression, anxiety, sexual health, and psychosocial adjustment after SCI.
Dr Harvinder Chhabras is Director of Spine and Rehabilitation at Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, and past president of ISCoS. He has led major initiatives including the ISCoS textbook on spinal cord injuries, elearnSCI.org, SCI Day, and IDAP.
