Measurement properties of the Wheelchair Skills Test for scooters among experienced users.
To investigate the score distribution, reliability, and validity of the objective Wheelchair Skills Test (WST) for scooter users.



A study using a test-retest design was conducted with 20 people who had mobility limitations that prevented them from ambulating more than one city block without a mobility aid, and who had owned a scooter for ≥3 months. Objective scooter skills, confidence, and physical accessibility were measured at both time points, while anxiety, depression, visual attention and task switching, functional independence, and visual acuity were measured only at baseline.



The mean total WST scores at Time 1 and Time 2 were 86.3% and 87.5%. The WST ICC was 0.889. The WST had a SEM of 2.50 and a Cronbach's alpha of 0.74. The total WST scores were significantly correlated with total subjective WST-Q scores (r = 0.547, p = 0.013), scooter confidence (r = 0.466, p = 0.038), and were affected by gender (p = 0.005).



The WST for scooters has good test-retest reliability and generally varies as anticipated with other measures. Although further study is needed, the WST for scooters appears to have promise for use in research and clinical practice. Implications for Rehabilitation It is important to understand the measurement properties of the tools we use in rehabilitation so the results can be interpreted correctly. As scooter use increases, better measurement of skills is required.
a Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy , University of British Columbia , Vancouver , BC , Canada.|b International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), UBC Faculty of Medicine and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) Research Institute , Vancouver , BC , Canada.|c Rehabilitation Research Program, VCH Research Institute , Vancouver , BC , Canada.
W Ben
WB
Mortenson
d School of Kinesiology , University of British Columbia , Vancouver , BC , Canada.
Laura
L
Hurd Clarke
a Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy , University of British Columbia , Vancouver , BC , Canada.|e Faculty of Health Sciences , Simon Fraser University , Burnaby , BC , Canada.
Charlie H
CH
Goldsmith
b International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), UBC Faculty of Medicine and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) Research Institute , Vancouver , BC , Canada.|c Rehabilitation Research Program, VCH Research Institute , Vancouver , BC , Canada.
Sharon
S
Jang
f Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine , Dalhousie University , Halifax , NS , Canada.
R Lee
RL
Kirby
D000368:Aged; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D009048:Motor Skills; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014910:Wheelchairs
Mobility scooter; mobility limitation; reliability; validity