Improving Clinician Capacity to Provide Interventions for Manual Wheelchair Users (SKILL)

University of Pittsburgh

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Paralysis, Legs; Paraplegia

Treatments: Other: Part 1 of intervention A - Wheelchair skills training modules; Other: Part 2 of intervention A - Asynchronous feedback from a remote trainer; Other: Intervention B: Education on wheelchair provision

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT06294834

STUDY22010071

90SIMS0010 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of remote manual wheelchair skills training program for clinicians. The study will use three-group approach: intervention with remote feedback (Group 1), control group (Group 2), and structured self-study (Group 3). This demonstrates how the intervention compares not only to a control, but also to the next "best alternative" - therapists sourcing web-based training materials and learning independently.

Full description

A randomized, single-blinded, two-period cross-over study design for Groups 1 and 2 will be used. Participants will complete baseline assessments and then be randomized to either Group 1 or Group 2. After enrollment for Groups 1 and 2 is completed, Group 3 participants will be enrolled.

Group 1 will receive the active intervention (intervention A) which will include a two-part training in wheelchair skills. For Part 1, they will review approximately 4 hours of educational videos on how to complete and teach wheelchair skills. For Part 2 they will complete a practice-feedback loop with a remote trainer providing asynchronous feedback. Group 3 will mirror Group 1 but complete only Part 1 of the training. Group 2 will receive the control intervention (intervention B) participants will review approximately 4 hours of educational videos. Participants will have 8 weeks to complete either training program. Both groups will then complete follow-up at 2 and 6 months. Following this, participants will cross over to receive the other intervention (Group 1 and 3 will receive intervention B, Group 2 will receive intervention A) and complete follow-up at 8 and 12 months.

Additionally, rehabilitation professionals who are not therapists will be able to access the training through a structured self-study (Group 4). This group will receive access to both trainings with follow-up at 2 and 6 months.

Enrollment: 235 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Practicing rehabilitation professional whose client population includes wheelchair users.
2. Willing and able to attempt practicing wheelchair skills
3. Access to a spotter(s)
4. Access to an Internet-ready device with video capabilities.
5. Speaks English

Exclusion criteria

1) Confident in teaching (Self-Efficacy on Assessing, Training, and Spotting [SEATS] item score = 5) and able to complete (WST-Q capacity item score = 2) >50% of skills targeted by the training intervention.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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235 participants in 4 patient groups

Group 1: therapists

Other group

Description:

Group 1 will receive the active intervention (intervention A) of remote wheelchair skills training. They will cross-over to receive the control intervention (intervention B) of education on wheelchair provision at 6 months.

Treatment:

Other: Intervention B: Education on wheelchair provision

Other: Part 2 of intervention A - Asynchronous feedback from a remote trainer

Other: Part 1 of intervention A - Wheelchair skills training modules

Group 2

Other group

Description:

Group 2 will complete the control intervention (intervention B) of education on wheelchair provision. They will cross-over to receive the active intervention (intervention A) of remote wheelchair skills training at 6 months.

Treatment:

Other: Intervention B: Education on wheelchair provision

Other: Part 2 of intervention A - Asynchronous feedback from a remote trainer

Other: Part 1 of intervention A - Wheelchair skills training modules

Group 3

Other group

Description:

Groups 3 will mirror Group 1 but for intervention A will only complete Part 1 of the training and then be cued weekly to practice.

Treatment:

Other: Intervention B: Education on wheelchair provision

Other: Part 1 of intervention A - Wheelchair skills training modules

Group 4: rehab professionals, not therapists

Other group

Description:

Group 4 will mirror Group 3 but receive access to both interventions at the same time.

Treatment:

Other: Intervention B: Education on wheelchair provision

Other: Part 1 of intervention A - Wheelchair skills training modules