Comparison Between a Tilt-in-Space Wheelchair and a Manual Wheelchair Equipped With a New Rear Anti-Tip Device From the Perspective of the Caregiver
By Kirby, R. Lee; MacDonald, Blair; Smith, Cher; MacLeod, Donald A.; Webber, Adam; Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Vol. 89, No. 9, pp. 1811-1815Publication Date: September 2008
Study compared the performance of a commercially-available tilt-in-space wheelchair to that of a lightweight manual wheelchair equipped with a new, rear anti-tip device (ArcRAD) from the perspective of the caregiver. The ArcRAD is described as an anti-tip arm which is out of the way at rest and self-deploys through an arc when needed. For the study, 19 able-bodied participants, of whom 7 simulated wheelchair users and 12 simulated caregivers, were trained in wheelchair-handling skills and completed the Wheelchair Skills Test (WST), with the wheelchairs tested in random order. After each WST, the participant completed the Quebec Users’ Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology (QUEST) and a visual analog scale (VAS) for perceived exertion. Analysis of results showed that, in comparison with the larger and heavier tilt-in-space wheelchair, a lightweight wheelchair equipped with an ArcRAD allows 4.4 percent better wheelchair-handling performance, 44 percent less exertion, and 26.3 percent greater wheelchair satisfaction. Study limitations and implications for further research with a larger sample of actual caregivers and wheelchair users are discussed.
Assistive Products Discussed: QUEBEC USER EVALUATION OF SATISFACTION WITH ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY (QUEST 2.0)
Published by: W.B. Saunders Company, a division of Elsevier Health Sciences (Website:http://us.elsevierhealth.com)
American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Web Site: http://www.aapmr.org/ )
American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (Web Site: http://www.acrm.org )
Link to text: http://www.archives-pmr.org/article/S0003-9993(08)00390-0/abstract
This publication is included in the library of the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), accession number J55296
