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Source publication
Purpose:
To establish the reliability and construct validity of two French-Canadian versions of assessment tools for manual (MWC) and powered wheelchair (PWC) users with autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS): the Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q-F) version 5.0 and the Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale (WheelCo...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... shown in Table 3, all outcome measures showed statistically significant test-retest reliability values, with ICCs ranging from 0.506 to 0.995. SEMs ranged from 3.3 to 9.1 for the WST-Q-F, and from 0.7 to 1.2 for the WheelCon-F. ...Context 2
... Table S3 in the Supplemental Material for detailed comparisons of wheelchair use scores at baseline between individuals 0.675 n represents the number of participants who completed both assessments. For the WST-Q-F for Powered Wheelchairs, one participant completed only the second assessment (retest). ...Citations
... With regard to patients, the studies showed that it is an effective way to evaluate variation in 32 power mobility skills (eg, the capability of putting on brakes, propelling a straight distance, and performing a reaching task from their wheelchair) in all power mobility AP users [22]. For example, studies used the WST-Q to evaluate the functional efficacy in patients with autosomal recessive spastic ataxia [23], multiple sclerosis, and SCI [24]. ...
... The studies involved patients who required several mobility APs, including mobility service dogs and manual and powered wheelchairs. The reviewed articles showed that this tool can be administered to patients with diseases of the nervous system and sense organs, such as autosomal recessive spastic ataxia [23] or multiple sclerosis [24] and traumatic damage to the spinal cord [26]. ...
... In detail, 6 reviewed studies have focused on the evaluation of confidence using the WheelCon-P, a self-report questionnaire that measures confidence with manual or power wheelchair use [95]. This tool has been administered to wheelchair users affected by several clinical conditions, particularly neurodegenerative conditions, such as autosomal recessive spastic ataxia (2 studies [23,38]), multiple sclerosis, and traumatic damage to the spinal cord [59]. ...
BACKGROUND
Introduction: World Health Organization claimed that measuring outcomes is necessary to understand the benefits of assistive technology and create evidence-based policies and systems to ensure universal access to it. Specifically, in clinical practice, there is an increasing need for standardized methods to track individual assistive technology (AT) interventions using outcome assessment
OBJECTIVE
Objective: This review has been undertaken to provide an overview of available outcome measures that can be used at the follow-up stage of any AT interventions and integrated into the daily clinical or service practice.
METHODS
Methods: We systematically searched for original manuscripts regarding available and used AT outcome measures by looking for titles and abstracts in the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases up to March 2023
RESULTS
Results: We analyzed 955 articles, of which 50 were included. Within these, 53 instruments have been mentioned and used to provide an AT outcome measure assessment. The most widely used tool is the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology, followed by the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Technology Scale. Moreover, the identified measures address eight AT outcome domains: functional efficacy, satisfaction, psychosocial impact, caregiver burden, quality of life, participation, confidence and usability. The AT category “Assistive products for activities and participation relating to personal mobility and transportation” was the most involved in the reviewed articles.
CONCLUSIONS
Discussion and Conclusion: Among the 53 cited instruments, only 17 scales (about 30%) were designed to evaluate specifically assistive devices. 34 instruments were only mentioned once to denote poor uniformity and concordance in the instruments to be used, limiting the possibility of comparing the results of studies. This work could represent a good guide for promoting the use of validated AT outcome measures in clinical practice that can be helpful to AT assessment teams in their everyday activities and the improvement of clinical practice.
... Participants ranked their perceived level of confidence to perform each skill on a scale of 0 (no confidence) to 10 (full confidence), allowing calculation of a total mean score out of 10. Strong test-retest reliability and construct validity of the WST-Q-F and WheelCon-F have been recently documented in the ARSACS population [17]. The Wheelchair Outcome Measure (WhOM-F, in French) was used to evaluate participation in wheelchair-related activities. ...
Purpose
Although approximately 45% of adults with Autosomal Recessive Spastic Ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS) are permanent wheelchair users, this sub population has been less studied. The purpose of this study was to document wheelchair mobility, motor performance, and participation in a cohort of adult wheelchair users with ARSACS.
Methods
We recruited 36 manual and powered wheelchair users with ARSACS, aged between 34 and 64 years, for this cross-sectional study. Participants completed measures regarding wheelchair mobility (Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire [WST-Q-F], Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale [WheelCon-F] and Wheelchair Outcome Measure [WhOM-F]), motor performance (Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia [SARA], Disease Severity Index for adults with ARSACS [DSI-ARSACS], Upper Extremity Performance Test for the Elderly [TEMPA], Standardised Finger to Nose Test [SFNT], grip strength, pinch strength, Lower Extremity Motor Coordination Test [LEMOCOT], Berg Balance Scale [BBS], Timed Up and Go [TUG] and 10-meter Walk Test [10mWT]), and participation (Barthel Index, LSA-F and LIFE-H). Results were compared between age groups (≤49 years and ≥50 years), types of wheelchair used, and available reference values. Correlations were computed between wheelchair mobility, upper limb function, and participation.
Results
Participants presented limitations regarding wheelchair skills, motor performance, and participation in daily activities. Despite preserved upper limb strength, wheelchair skills, upper and lower limb coordination, standing balance, and functional independence were generally more impaired after 50 years of age and among powered wheelchair users. Significant moderate correlations were found between wheelchair skills and self-efficacy, upper limb strength and coordination, and participation in daily and social activities.
Conclusions
This study provided the first data sets describing specific characteristics of manual and powered wheelchair users with ARSACS. It supports a need to offer wheelchair skills training interventions to adults with ARSACS, which could increase their daily and social participation.
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IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION
• Adult wheelchair users with ARSACS present with limited wheelchair skills, significantly impaired motor performance, and reduced participation that generally decreases with age. This profile may serve as comparative data for clinicians to anticipate disease progression.
• This study provides the first data on distinguishing characteristics between PWC users and MWC users with ARSACS. The main characteristics of PWC users include more severe functional limitations and motor impairments, as well as limited grip strength that contrasts with the general preservation of this function among other adults with ARSACS.
• There is a need to offer and evaluate wheelchair skills training interventions in the future for adults with ARSACS. The general preservation of grip and pinch strength observed in this population suggests a potential for improvement. Considering the associations found between wheelchair mobility and participation, such interventions may increase users’ daily and social participation.
Background:
World Health Organization claimed that measuring outcomes is necessary to understand the benefits of assistive technology and create evidence-based policies and systems to ensure universal access to it. Specifically, in clinical practice, there is an increasing need for standardized methods to track individual assistive technology (AT) interventions using outcome assessment.
Objective:
This review has been undertaken to provide an overview of available outcome measures that can be used at the follow-up stage of any AT interventions and integrated into the daily clinical or service practice.
Methods:
We systematically searched for original manuscripts regarding available and used AT outcome measures by looking for titles and abstracts in the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases up to March 2023.
Results:
We analyzed 955 articles, of which 50 were included. Within these, 53 instruments have been mentioned and used to provide an AT outcome assessment. The most widely used tool is the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology, followed by the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Technology Scale. Moreover, the identified measures address eight AT outcome domains: functional efficacy, satisfaction, psychosocial impact, caregiver burden, quality of life, participation, confidence and usability. The AT category "Assistive products for activities and participation relating to personal mobility and transportation" was the most involved in the reviewed articles.
Conclusions:
Among the 53 cited instruments, only 17 scales (about 30%) were designed to evaluate specifically assistive devices. 34 instruments were only mentioned once to denote poor uniformity and concordance in the instruments to be used, limiting the possibility of comparing the results of studies. This work could represent a good guide for promoting the use of validated AT outcome measures in clinical practice that can be helpful to AT assessment teams in their everyday activities and the improvement of clinical practice.
