Article

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of group wheelchair skills training to
elicit improvements in wheelchair skills. DESIGN: Randomized double-blinded
controlled trial. SETTING: Four Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Centers.
PARTICIPANTS: Manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (N=114).
INTERVENTION: Six 90-minute group Wheelchair Skills Training Program (WSTP)
classes or two 1-hour active control sessions with 6 to 10 people per group. MAIN
OUTCOME MEASURES: Baseline (t1) and 1-month follow-up (t2) Wheelchair Skills Test
Questionnaire (WST-Q) (Version 4.2) for capacity and performance and Goal
Attainment Scale (GAS) score. RESULTS: Follow-up was completed by 79 participants
(WSTP: n=36, active control: n=43). No differences were found between missing and
complete cases. Many users were highly skilled at baseline with a WST-Q capacity
interquartile range of 77% to 97%. There were no differences between groups at
baseline in WST-Q measures or demographics. Compared with the active control
group, the WSTP group improved in WST-Q capacity advanced score (P=.02) but not
in WST-Q capacity or WST-Q performance total scores (P=.068 and P=.873,
respectively). The average GAS score (0% at t1) for the WSTP group at t2 was
65.6%+/-34.8%. Higher GAS scores and WST-Q capacity scores were found for those
who attended more classes and had lower baseline skills. CONCLUSIONS: Group
training can improve advanced wheelchair skills capacity and facilitate
achievement of individually set goals. Lower skill levels at baseline and
increased attendance were correlated with greater improvement.
CI - Copyright (c) 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS