Effectiveness of Wheelchair Skills Training for Caregivers of Manual Wheelchair Users

Lee Kirby

Status: Completed

Conditions: Caregivers

Treatments: Other: Remote wheelchair skills training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03856749

WSP2019-01

Details and patient eligibility

About

Although there have been a small number of studies suggesting the important role that caregivers play in assisting wheelchair users with mobility, there has never been a randomized controlled trial (RCT) looking at the effectiveness or cost-utility of wheelchair skills training for caregivers. The overall goal of this study is to correct this knowledge gap and, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, to conduct the training remotely. The main purpose of this study is to test if providing wheelchair skills training remotely to caregivers of manual wheelchair users enhances caregiver-assisted wheelchair skills ability and confidence in comparison to a control group of participants who are receiving usual care and self-study material on wheelchair skills. The investigators will also study whether the benefits of training are still seen at a 6-week follow-up and assess the health-economic impact of caregiver training.

Enrollment: 27 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria for caregiver and wheelchair user dyad

• be ≥ 18 years of age
• able to communicate in English
• be willing to participate and be committed to setting regularly scheduled times for the study activities
• will need to have the appropriate connectivity for the remote training and testing (i.e. telephone, limited-access e-mail and internet).

Exclusion Criteria for caregiver and wheelchair user dyad :

• fail to complete the baseline (T1) assessment
• have unstable medical conditions (e.g. angina, seizures) that might make the use of a manual wheelchair dangerous
• emotional problems (e.g. severe anxiety, depression) that might make participation unsafe or unpleasant
• have a medical condition that is likely to deteriorate in the three months following enrollment.

Inclusion Criteria for wheelchair user

• a person who uses a manual wheelchair
• be expected to continue to use a manual wheelchair at least part-time in the coming months
• requires no more than minimal assistance for communication and auditory comprehension

Inclusion Criteria for caregiver of wheelchair user

-must be a caregiver (e.g. a family member, friend, volunteer or regular homecare worker) who spends an average total of at least 2 hours per week with the manual wheelchair user that includes manual wheelchair mobility.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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27 participants in 2 patient groups

Treatment

Experimental group

Description:

The wheelchair user and caregiver will be trained together on wheelchair skills using remote technology (Zoom for healthcare and/or Facetime).

Treatment:

Other: Remote wheelchair skills training

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

The wheelchair user and caregiver will receive the same self-study materials provided to the Treatment arm. Usual care, which may include wheelchair skills training for both wheelchair users and caregivers( but which often does not do so to an adequate extent) by wheelchair user's clinical therapist.