title: Transfer component skill deficit rates among Veterans who use wheelchairs.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to quantify the deficit rates for transfer component skills in a Veteran cohort and explore the relationship between deficit rates and subject characteristics. Seventy-four men and 18 women performed up to four transfers independently from their wheelchair to a mat table while a therapist evaluated their transfer techniques using the Transfer Assessment Instrument. The highest deficit rates concerned the improper use of handgrips (63%). Other common problems included not setting the wheelchair up at the proper angle (50%) and not removing the armrest (58%). Veterans over 60 yr old and Veterans with moderate shoulder pain were more likely to set up their wheelchairs inappropriately than younger Veterans (p = 0.003) and Veterans with mild shoulder pain (p = 0.004). Women were less likely to remove their armrests than men (p = 0.03). Subjects with disabilities other than spinal cord injury were less inclined to set themselves up for a safe and easy transfer than the subjects with spinal cord injury (p ≤ 0.001). The results provide insight into the disparities present in transfer skills among Veterans and will inform the development of future transfer training programs both within and outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
authors.affiliation: Human Engineering Research Laboratories, Department of Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA; and Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA;
authors.forename: Alicia M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Koontz
authors.forename: Chung-Ying
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Nathan S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Hogaboom
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Boninger
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000150:complications; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014728:Veterans; D014910:Wheelchairs; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: activities of daily living; clinical practice guideline; clinical practice variations; healthcare disparities; patient outcome assessment; repetitive strain injury; shoulder; spinal cord injury; training; upper limb