Establishing user needs for a stability assessment tool to guide wheelchair prescription

Abstract

Purpose: The WheelSense project aims to develop a system for assessing the stability and performance of wheelchairs through a user-centred design process. This study sought to capture user needs and define the specification for the system. Method: A mixed methods approach was adopted. An online survey was completed by 98 participants working in wheelchair provision. The results were built upon through 10 semi-structured interviews and one focus group (n = 5) with professionals working in wheelchair provision in three NHS Trusts in the UK. Results: The results provided a picture of the current UK practice in stability testing. Issues with the reliability and usefulness of the existing methods used to assess the stability and performance of wheelchairs were highlighted. Requirements for a new system were ascertained. These included improved accuracy of tipping angles, features to support record keeping, improved client/carer education support and ability to model or predict client–wheelchair system performance in different configurations.

Conclusions: The paper concludes that there is a need for improved tools to determine the stability of the client–wheelchair system and support the prescription process, to ensure client safety and optimum equipment performance. A list of requirements has been produced to guide the future development of WheelSense.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• The results of this survey and interview-based study present a picture of wheelchair stability testing practices in the UK, and highlight the need for new, more informative methods for guiding wheelchair prescription.

• The requirements for the design of a new system, or further development of existing tools to support the stability testing and prescription of wheelchairs have been established.

Keywords:

• Stability testing
• user-centred design
• wheelchair prescription
• wheelchair stability

Acknowledgements

Ethical approval to conduct this study was granted by Coventry University.

Declaration of interest

Louise Moody, Jill Evans, Paul Dryer, Simon Fielden, Nigel Shapcott, Mike Heelis and Paul Magee report no declaration of interest. Dimitar Stefanov has a patent based on the WheelSense system (Mobility Assistance Vehicle Stability Assessment patent WO2015004454 (A1).). The WheelSense project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Invention for Innovation (i4i) stream 2 (Grant II-AR-0209-10099.).

Notes

¹ The terms “active” and “passive” wheelchair users refer to the level of self-propelled activity a patient undertakes in their chair. Active users will tend to self-propel for the majority of their time, and generally wish to be able to negotiate environmental obstacles such as kerbs without assistance. Passive users depend more or totally on assistance, or wish their chair to be very stable.