title: Effectiveness of a Wheelchair Skills Training Program for Powered Wheelchair Users: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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, and secondarily to assess goal achievement, satisfaction with training, retention, injury rate, confidence with wheelchair use, and participation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rehabilitation centers and communities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Powered wheelchair users (N=116).
  
  
  METHODS
  Five 30-minute WSTP training sessions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Assessments were done at baseline (t1), posttraining (t2), and 3 months posttraining (t3) using the Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q version 4.1), Goal Attainment Score (GAS), Satisfaction Questionnaire, injury rate, Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale for Power Wheelchair Users (WheelCon), and Life Space Assessment (LSA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant t2-t1 difference between the groups for WST-Q capacity scores (P=.600), but the difference for WST-Q performance scores was significant (P=.016) with a relative (t2/t1 × 100%) improvement of the median score for the intervention group of 10.8%. The mean GAS ± SD 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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Powered wheelchair users who receive formal wheelchair skills training demonstrate modest, transient posttraining improvements in their WST-Q performance scores, have substantial improvements on individualized goals, and are positive about training.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Electronic address: kirby@dal.ca.
authors.forename: R Lee
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kirby
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Laval University, Québec City, Quebec, Canada; Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Quebec City Rehabilitation Institute, Québec City, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Francois
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Routhier
authors.affiliation: School of Rehabilitation, University of Montreal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; Research Center, University of Montreal Institute of Geriatrics, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Demers
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mihailidis
authors.affiliation: School of Occupational Therapy, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Jan Miller
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Polgar
authors.affiliation: School of Rehabilitation, University of Montreal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; University Hospital Centre Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Paula W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Rushton
authors.affiliation: School of Occupational Therapy, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Titus
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, Capital District Health Authority, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: Cher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McAllister
authors.affiliation: Research Methods Unit, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Theriault
authors.affiliation: Research Methods Unit, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: Kara
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Bonita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sawatzky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D014910:Wheelchairs
keywords: Motor skills; Randomized controlled trial; Rehabilitation; Wheelchairs