TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2015//
TI  - Effectiveness of a wheelchair skills training program for powered wheelchair users: a randomized controlled trial
JO  - Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation
A1  - Kirby, R. Lee
A1  - Miller, William C.
A1  - Routhier, Francois
A1  - Demers, Louise
A1  - Mihailidis, Alex
A1  - Polgar, Jan Miller
A1  - Rushton, Paula W.
A1  - Titus, Laura
A1  - Smith, Cher
A1  - McAllister, Mike
A1  - Theriault, Chris
A1  - Thompson, Kara
A1  - Sawatzky, Bonita
SP  - 2017
EP  - 2026.e3
VL  - 96
IS  - 11
N2  - OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that powered wheelchair users who receive the Wheelchair Skills Training Program (WSTP) improve their wheelchair skills in comparison with a Control group that receives standard care. Our secondary objectives were to assess goal achievement, satisfaction with training, retention, injury rate, confidence with wheelchair use and participation. <br><br>DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial (RCT). SETTING: Rehabilitation centers and communities. PARTICIPANTS: 116 powered wheelchair users. INTERVENTION: Five 30-minute WSTP training sessions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Assessments were done at baseline (T1), post-training (T2) and 3 months post-training (T3) using the Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q 4.1), Goal Attainment Score (GAS), Satisfaction Questionnaire, Injury Rate, Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale for Power Wheelchair Users (WheelCon) and Life Space Assessment (LSA). <br><br>RESULTS: There was no significant T2-T1 difference between the groups for WST-Q capacity scores (p = 0.600) but the difference for WST-Q performance scores was significant (p = 0.016) with a relative (T2/T1 x 100%) improvement of the median score for the Intervention group of 10.8%. The mean (SD) GAS for the Intervention group after training was 92.8% (11.4) and satisfaction with training was high. The WST-Q gain was not retained at T3. There was no clinically significant difference between the groups in injury rate and no statistically significant differences in WheelCon or LSA scores at T3. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Powered wheelchair users who receive formal wheelchair skills training demonstrate modest transient post-training improvements in their WST-Q performance scores, they have substantial improvements on individualized goals and they are positive about training.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0003-9993
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2015.07.009
ID  - ref1
ER  -