Exploratory validation of a multidimensional power wheelchair outcomes toolkit

Arch Phys Med Rehabil., 2015 · DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2015.08.430 · Published: December 1, 2015

Simple Explanation

This study evaluates a power wheelchair outcomes toolkit, which includes measures of wheelchair skills, participation, mobility, and confidence. The toolkit aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the impact of power wheelchair use. The study explores how these measures relate to each other, suggesting a hierarchical relationship where confidence influences skills, skills influence mobility, and mobility influences participation. The toolkit can help clinicians identify areas for interventions. The results support the use of the toolkit, showing that the measures provide complementary information about power wheelchair use. Interventions improving confidence and skills may decrease perceived difficulty in participation and improve mobility.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

128 power wheelchair users. The majority, 69 (53.9%), were female. Multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury/disease were the most common diagnoses.

Evidence Level

Cross-sectional study

Key Findings

1
Wheelchair confidence was independently associated with less difficulty with activity and participation, increased life space and greater wheelchair skills.
2
Less perceived difficulty with activity was independently associated with increased frequency of participation.
3
Life space mobility was independently associated with increased frequency of participation and less difficulty with participation was independently associated with greater life-space mobility.

Research Summary

This study provides empirical support for the measures included as part of the power wheelchair outcomes toolkit. They appear to provide complementary information on a variety of constructs related to power wheelchair use. Findings suggest that interventions aimed at improving wheelchair confidence and wheelchair skills may decrease perceived difficulty in participation and improve life-space mobility and frequency of participation.

Practical Implications

Clinical Reasoning

The toolkit can be used as a clinical reasoning tool to help clinicians identify areas for potential interventions to improve the mobility and participation of power wheelchair users.

Intervention Targets

Interventions improving wheelchair confidence and skills may decrease perceived difficulty in participation and improve life-space mobility and participation frequency.

Environmental Considerations

Addressing social environment barriers, such as public awareness campaigns, may improve participation by power wheelchair users.

Study Limitations

1
The measures included in the current toolkit are not exhaustive, and do not include other potentially relevant variables such as device satisfaction, psychosocial impact, wheelchair fit, or measures of physical or social barriers to power mobility use
2
A social desirability bias may have influenced results from self-report measures.
3
Participants represent a sample of convenience and results may not generalize to other power wheelchair users.

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