Functional Electrical Stimulation-assisted Coughing to Improve Cough Strength in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation
LIVE WEBINAR DATE AND TIME
Wednesday, July 23, 2025 4:30–5:30 pm CT
Note: If you are unable to attend the live event, you will be automatically enrolled in the on-demand version. The on-demand version will be available six weeks after the live broadcast.
INSTRUCTORS (click on each name below to read faculty bios)
DESCRIPTION
This webinar will cover Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES)-Assisted Coughing as an intervention to improve cough strength in spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation at all levels of care. We will discuss background information related to respiratory impairments after an SCI as well as review coughing mechanics. We will touch on respiratory assessment, specifically reviewing peak cough flow and then discuss the current body of evidence related to FES-Assisted Coughing and describe a functional coughing protocol synthesized from this literature. This webinar will provide a live demonstration of set up of the FES-Assisted Coughing intervention to facilitate learning and understanding of the intervention protocol. Patient safety and considerations for implementation will be included in multiple case studies. Finally, this webinar will touch on plan of care management and decision making to ensure participants understand the utility of this intervention.
LEARNER OUTCOMES
Upon completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Identify respiratory impairments after spinal cord injury (SCI)
- Analyze the current body of evidence related to Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES)-Assisted coughing in SCI
- Interpret peak-cough-flow values as an assessment of cough strength
- Describe the clinical application of FES-Assisted coughing in various practice settings
- Design a plan of care including FES-Assisted coughing for a patient with a SCI
SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION
Participants will be present during the live webinar in its entirety and complete an attendance verification and feedback survey in the Academy Learning Portal within one month of the live air date.
AUDIENCE
Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy Assistants, Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants and Speech-Language Pathologists
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Occupational Therapists:
Shirley Ryan 嫩B研究院 is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. Course approval ID pending. This distance learning interactive webinar is offered at .10 CEUs [intermediate, OT service delivery/ Foundational Knowledge]. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.
Physical Therapists: This online course has been approved by the Illinois Physical Therapy Board for 1.0 Contact Hours. Approval #216-000069
The Shirley Ryan 嫩B研究院 is recognized by California and the New York State Education Department's State Board for Physical Therapy as an approved provider of physical therapy and physical therapist assistant continuing education for 1.0 Contact Hours on 6/17/2025.
Many states accept continuing education contact hours recognized in other states, enabling professionals to use these hours to meet their licensing or certification requirements. Please consult your state regulations to see if this meets CEU requirements for your license.
Speech-Language Pathologists:
Disclosures:
Course Directors and Planning Committee Members:
Julie Lenkiewicz, MS, CCC-SLP Has nothing to disclose.
Melissa Kolski, PT, OCS, Dip MDT Has nothing to disclose.
Leslie Marriott, OTR/L Has nothing to disclose.
Selah Bustamante, MSN, RN, CRRN Has nothing to disclose.
Melissa Legreid, MSN, RN, CRRN, NPD-BC Has nothing to disclose.
Speakers, Moderators and Panelists:
Kelly Harbron, PT, DPT Has nothing to disclose.
Brenna Murphy, PT, DPT Has nothing to disclose.
Kelly Pantason, PT, DPT Has nothing to disclose.
Jonathan Ripic, PT, DPT Has nothing to disclose.
TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS
To participate, you will need a device with an internet connection. Supported devices include computers, laptops, and both iOS and Android mobile devices. For the best experience, we recommend using high-speed broadband internet (LAN, Cable, or DSL). Please ensure you are using the latest stable version of Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. Internet Explorer is not supported. Additionally, JavaScript and cookies must be enabled on your browser. You will also need a speaker and microphone or a phone for dial-in. For live online sessions, make sure to download the latest version of Zoom (at Zoom.us/download) to ensure compatibility.
CANCELLATION POLICY
To request a cancellation, please notify us in writing via email at academy@sralab.org. If your order is canceled within 24 hours, we will issue a full refund of the webinar fee. We are unable to issue a refund within 24 hours of the activity start time.
