The National Spinal Cord Injury Database has been in existence since 1973 and captures data from an estimated
6% of new SCI cases in the U.S. Since its inception, 29 federally funded SCI Model Systems have contributed
data to the National SCI Database. As of December 2016, the database contained information on 32,159 persons
who sustained traumatic spinal cord injuries. To assure comparability of data acquired by personnel in various centers,
rigid scientific criteria have been established for the collection, management and analysis of information entered into the database.
National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center staff has also developed quality control procedures that further enhance the
reliability and validity of the database.
Database Objectives
Definition and Eligibility
Database Research
Database Publications
Updated January 2017
Approved Access Requests
Updated January 2017
Data Collection Forms
SCIMS Data Collection Forms 2016-2021
SCIMS Data Collection Forms 2011-2016
SCIMS Data Collection Forms 2006-2011
SCIMS Data Collection Forms 2000-2006
Data Dictionary
Data Dictionary 2016 - 2021
Data Dictionary 2011 - 2016
Data Dictionary 2000 - 2006
The DeVivo Mentored Research Award
DeVivo Award 2017
The DeVivo Mentored Research Award, sponsored and administered by the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), is a one-year $3,000 research award for trainees who are interested in conducting a research project using data from the Spinal Cord Injury Model System (SCIMS) National Database.
Past recipients:
2009
1. Gina Armstrong, MD (mentor: Marcel Dijkers, PhD), Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Project title “Do Gender Differences Exist in Patterns and Consequences of Alcohol Use Following Spinal Cord Injury?”
2. Yue Cao, MS (mentor: Sean-Shong Hwang, PhD), UAB Department of Sociology, Birmingham, AL. Project title “Cumulative Advantage of Education on the Health and Life Quality After Spinal Cord Injury”.
2010
3. Katya Radkevich, MD (mentor: Stephen Burns, MD), VA Puget Sound Health Care Systems, Seattle, WA. Project title “United States Veterans in the Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Database”.
4. Katherine W Stenson, MD (mentor: Anne Deutsch, PhD, CRRN, RN and David Chen, MD), Rehab Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Project title “A Comparison of Medicare Patients in the SCI Model System Database and the National Medicare Databases”.
2012
5. Hwasoon Kim, MS (mentor: Garry Cutter, PhD), UAB Department of Biostatistics, Birmingham, AL. Project title “Modeling to Predict Loss to Follow-up In the Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Database”.
2014
6. Hannah W Mercier, MS, OTR/L (mentor: Alan Jette, PhD, PT), Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions, Charlestown, MA. Project title “Effects of Rehospitalization among Adults with Spinal Cord Injury on Quality of Life, Independence, and Participation”.
7. Jordan Garman, DO (mentor: Keneshia Kirksey, MD and Elizabeth Richardson, PhD, MSPH), UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Birmingham, AL. Project title “Factors Contributing to Transition of Bladder Management Method Following Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury”.