Effectiveness of a Wheelchair Skills Training Program for Power Mobility Users: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Movement Disorders Clinical Trial

Official title:

Effectiveness of a Wheelchair Skills Training Program for Power Mobility Users: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01432418
• Other study ID #: 230378
• Secondary ID: CDHA-RS/2012-133
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: September 8, 2011
• Last updated: May 6, 2016
• Start date: June 2012
• Est. completion date: September 2014

Study information

• Verified date: May 2016
• Source: Nova Scotia Health Authority
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Canada: Health Canada
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This is a 3-year multi-centre, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the hypothesis that wheelchair skills training (using a systematic training program called the Wheelchair Skills Training Program) improves wheelchair skills and safety of 144 powered wheelchair users. A second objective is to assess the effects of age, sex, training centre, and participant experience on outcomes, assessing the retention of benefits and assessing the impact of training on other important outcomes.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 116
• Est. completion date: September 2014
• Est. primary completion date: September 2014
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• new or experienced powered wheelchair users

• use or are expected to use powered wheelchairs for at least 4 hrs/week

• have access to a powered wheelchair with a suitable range of controller settings (i.e. able to climb a 5cm level change) for testing and training

• equal or greater than 18 years of age

• able to follow directions in either French or English (whichever is in use at the participating site)

• have the potential to operate their powered wheelchairs independently

• have room for improvement (in the opinion of the potential participant's clinician)

• requires no more than minimal assistance for communication and auditory comprehension (in the opinion of the potential participant's clinician)

• able to follow 2-step commands

• demonstrate the ability to attend training sessions during the intake session

• competent to provide their own informed consent

• able to be comfortably seated in the powered wheelchairs that will be used for the study (if not their own).

Exclusion Criteria:

• use or are expected to use a scooter

• have a rapidly progressive disorder (e.g. amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or terminal cancer)

• have significant visual impairments (legally blind)

• have unstable medical conditions (e.g. angina, seizures)

• have emotional problems (e.g. severe anxiety, depression) that might make participation unsafe or unpleasant

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Single Blind (Outcomes Assessor), Primary Purpose: Supportive Care

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Movement Disorders

Intervention

Other:
• Wheelchair skills training program
A training program that uses methods based on the rehabilitation, wheelchair, and motor skills literature to teach wheelchair skills.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Canada	Nova Scotia Rehabilitation Centre	Halifax	Nova Scotia
Canada	University of Western Ontario	London	Ontario
Canada	Centre de Réadaptation Lucie-Bruneau	Montreal	Quebec
Canada	Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Réadaptation et Intégration Sociale	Quebec City	Quebec
Canada	Toronto Rehab	Toronto	Ontario
Canada	GFS Rehabilitation Centre	Vancouver	British Columbia

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Nova Scotia Health Authority	Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Canada, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change from baseline in Wheelchair Skills, WST 4.1 questionnaire version	A measure of what the person 'can do' (capacity), 'does do' (performance), and the safety of various wheelchair skills. The Wheelchair Skills Test (WST) version 4.1 in questionnaire format will be used.	baseline, 1 month , 3 months	Yes

External Links

•   pubmed Canada study results