AT outcomes studies are needed that report data regarding (a) the impact of AT on participation, (b) costs of AT provision and (c) key elements in the AT service delivery process. Future studies will be further strengthened to the extent that their methodologies actively assimilate consumer perspectives. Implications for Rehabilitation Consumers highly value the impact of AT devices on their independence, subjective well-being and participation in work and school. The process of acquiring assistive technology devices is often lengthy and frustrating for consumers. Future AT outcomes research should report descriptive data regarding service delivery processes, as well as long-term impacts for consumers. Practitioners and researchers should avoid the use of potentially confusing professional jargon when administering surveys to consumers.
The following suggestions are offered as researchers continue to develop increasingly sophisticated instruments and methods: (1) participation measures need to be device-specific; (2) measures ought to capture both 'capacity' and 'performance'; (3) methods need to be sensitive to those factors that impact mobility device use over time; (4) methods need to be sensitive to the complexities of both the social and physical environment as they impact device use; and (5) measures need to reflect the impact of multiple mobility device use.
The significance of this study lies in its methodological implications for future outcomes research. The complexities inherent in measuring interventions are discussed in terms of an instrument's constructs, research question(s), study design, subject population, and the practical considerations of collecting outcomes data within busy clinical practices.
The combination of objective and subjective data afforded by the application of PAMS reflects a complex relationship between wheelchair use and the role of mobility as people go about their daily home and community activities. PAMS can be adapted to a variety of research questions and may be used as an alternative or supplement to self-report assessments of activity and participation.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.