Purpose of Technology

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is the direct application of electric current to intact nerve fibers in a coordinated fashion to cause involuntary but purposeful muscle contraction. FES bypasses the central nervous system and targets motor neurons innervating either skeletal muscle or other organ systems. When used for rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injury, FES is used to improve general health and fitness through exercise and to enable functional use of partially or completely paralyzed limbs.

Questions addressed in this report include:

• Does FES-assisted exercise improve physical status in patients with SCI?
• Does FES improve physical function in patients with SCI?
• Is FES safe?
• Have specific patient selection criteria for FES been established?

These questions provide a framework for review and synthesis of the best available evidence, which is presented in this report, along with the Hayes Ratings for the technology. This report also provides background information about the condition being treated, a description of the technology, and the context for development of the technology. Other key elements addressed in the report include the regulatory status; applicable Medicare and commercial payer coverage policies; relevant ICD-9 and ICD-10 diagnosis codes; cost and cost effectiveness; credentialing; hospital length of stay; need for large case management; and ongoing and future clinical trials of the technology.

Posted in Directory Reports
This entry was posted on Thursday, December 29th, 2011 at 8:00 am.