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Ouellet B, Best KL, Wilson D, Miller WC. Exploring the Influence of a Community-Based Peer-Led Wheelchair Skills Training on Satisfaction with Participation in Children and Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy and Spina Bifida: A Pilot Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:11908. [PMID: 36231211 PMCID: PMC9564843 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191911908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Peer-led approaches improve satisfaction with participation, wheelchair skills and wheelchair use self-efficacy in adults, but the evidence is limited in children. This pilot study aimed to explore the influence of community-based, peer-led, group wheelchair training program (i.e., Seating To Go) on satisfaction with participation (primary outcome), wheelchair skills, and wheelchair use self-efficacy in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy and spina bifida. METHODS A single group pre-post design was used. Invitations were shared online and diffused by clinicians and advocacy and provider groups to recruit a convenience sample of eight pediatric wheelchair users. Participants completed the Seating To Go program in groups that were facilitated by adult wheelchair users. Satisfaction with participation (Wheelchair Outcome Measure-Young People), wheelchair skills (Wheelchair Skills Test), wheelchair use self-efficacy (Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale), and perceived wheelchair skills capacity (Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire; proxy rating: parents) were evaluated before and after the Seating To Go program. Descriptive statistics and nonparametric longitudinal data analysis were conducted to explore changes in all outcomes from baseline to post-intervention. RESULTS Pediatric wheelchair users (ranging in age from 5 to 15 years) and their parents reported statistically significant improvements in satisfaction with participation. The improvements in wheelchair skills and wheelchair confidence were also statistically significant, but not the parents' perception of their children's wheelchair skills. CONCLUSIONS A community-based peer-led approach to wheelchair skills training seems promising for improving wheelchair outcomes in pediatric wheelchair users. Further controlled studies with larger samples are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Béatrice Ouellet
- Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Centre Intégré Universitaire en Santé et en Services Sociaux de la Capitale-Nationale (CIUSSS-CN), Quebec City, QC G1M 2S8, Canada
| | - Krista L. Best
- Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Centre Intégré Universitaire en Santé et en Services Sociaux de la Capitale-Nationale (CIUSSS-CN), Quebec City, QC G1M 2S8, Canada
| | - Deb Wilson
- Seating To Go—Geneva Healthcare, Hamilton 3204, New Zealand
| | - William C. Miller
- Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada
- G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre—Rehabilitation Research Lab, Vancouver, BC V5Z 2G9, Canada
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Ouellet B, Rushton PW, Côté AA, Fortin-Haines L, Lafleur E, Paré I, Barwick M, Kirby RL, Robert MT, Routhier F, Dib T, Burrola-Mendez Y, Best KL. Evaluation of pediatric-specific resources to support utilization of the Wheelchair Skills Training Program by the users of the resources: a descriptive qualitative study. BMC Pediatr 2022; 22:500. [PMID: 36002816 PMCID: PMC9402274 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-022-03539-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children's ability to engage in meaningful activities is positively influenced by their ability to move independently. Preliminary evidence in children suggests that wheelchair skills training improves wheelchair skills, which are important for independent mobility. The Wheelchair Skills Training Program is a standardized program to teach wheelchair skills. However, it is underutilized in pediatric rehabilitation settings. To increase its utilization, 3 pediatric-specific Wheelchair Skills Training Program resources related to indoor skills were developed (i.e., a storybook, four instructional posters, and a training workbook). This study aimed to describe occupational therapists' (OTs) and pediatric manual wheelchair users' (PMWUs) perceived satisfaction with the storybook, instructional posters and training workbook, and to explore their perceptions regarding the usability, relevance, and feasibility of these resources in pediatric rehabilitation settings. METHODS A descriptive qualitative design was used. Convenience samples of OTs and PMWUs were recruited in a rehabilitation center and affiliated schools. A focus group with OTs and semi-structured interviews with PMWUs were conducted by videoconference to obtain participants' feedback on the resource prototypes and suggestions for improvement. Data were deductively analyzed using the Framework method. RESULTS Eight OTs and 5 PMWUs expressed general satisfaction with the resources, describing them as usable, relevant, and feasible to integrate into wheelchair skills training with novice wheelchair users and younger children. All OTs and 3 PMWUs expressed the desire to use the resources for wheelchair skills training. Two PMWUs perceived the resources were not relevant to them because they already mastered the skills. The participants suggested minor modifications for improving the resources (e.g., more action in the story, increased precision of illustrations related to the characters' position in the wheelchair). CONCLUSION OTs and PMWUs were satisfied with the resources, perceiving them to be applicable for training wheelchair skills among young children and novice wheelchair users. The resources represent a concrete solution to facilitate the use of the Wheelchair Skills Training Program in pediatric rehabilitation settings. Additional resources are needed to better reach older and more experienced PMWUs (i.e., of intermediate and advanced skill levels).
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Affiliation(s)
- Béatrice Ouellet
- Department of Rehabilitation, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada.,Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Paula W Rushton
- School of Rehabilitation, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada. .,CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, 5200, rue Bélanger Est, Montréal, QC, H1T 1C9, Canada.
| | - Andrée-Anne Côté
- School of Rehabilitation, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Emma Lafleur
- School of Rehabilitation, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Isabelle Paré
- School of Rehabilitation, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Melanie Barwick
- University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - R Lee Kirby
- Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Maxime T Robert
- Department of Rehabilitation, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada.,Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - François Routhier
- Department of Rehabilitation, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada.,Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Tatiana Dib
- School of Rehabilitation, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, 5200, rue Bélanger Est, Montréal, QC, H1T 1C9, Canada
| | - Yohali Burrola-Mendez
- School of Rehabilitation, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, 5200, rue Bélanger Est, Montréal, QC, H1T 1C9, Canada
| | - Krista L Best
- Department of Rehabilitation, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada.,Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Quebec, QC, Canada
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