Transfer component skill deficit rates among Veterans who use wheelchairs

Abstract

Abstract-The purpose of this study was to quantify the deficit rates for transfer component skills in a Veteran cohort and explore the relationship between deficit rates and subject characteristics. Seventy-four men and 18 women performed up to four transfers independently from their wheelchair to a mat table while a therapist evaluated their transfer techniques using the Transfer Assessment Instrument. The highest deficit rates concerned the improper use of handgrips (63%). Other common problems included not setting the wheelchair up at the proper angle (50%) and not removing the armrest (58%). Veterans over 60 yr old and Veterans with moderate shoulder pain were more likely to set up their wheelchairs inappropriately than younger Veterans (p = 0.003) and Veterans with mild shoulder pain (p = 0.004). Women were less likely to remove their armrests than men (p = 0.03). Subjects with disabilities other than spinal cord injury were less inclined to set themselves up for a safe and easy transfer than the subjects with spinal cord injury (p  0.001). The results provide insight into the disparities present in transfer skills among Veterans and will inform the development of future transfer training programs both within and outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Manual Wheelchair Skills Training for Community-Dwelling Veterans with Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…in the home versus in hospital), follow-ups of more than three months, active versus standard-care control groups, evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship between training and participation outcomes and RCTs for specific populations (e.g. community-dwelling veterans with SCI, whose demographic and clinical characteristics as well as health-care experiences may be different from general populations [40–42]).…”

Investigating the Efficacy of Web-Based Transfer Training on Independent Wheelchair Transfers Through Randomized Controlled Trials

“…5,8,9 Despite transfer training being cited as the third most used treatment during inpatient rehabilitation stays, 10 less than one quarter of individuals with thoracic-level spinal cord injuries (SCIs) report the ability to transfer independently at the time of discharge. 1,11 Even among those who can independently transfer, a 2016 study 12 found that 63% did not use a proper handgrip, 50% did not set up their wheelchair at a proper angle, and 58% transferred without removing barriers. Deficits in transfer skills have been associated with nonergonomic biomechanics and measures of pain and pathology in the upper extremities, 3,9,[13][14][15] highlighting the continued need for utilization of appropriate transfer training techniques.…”

Novel lateral transfer assist robot decreases the difficulty of transfer in post-stroke hemiparesis patients: a pilot study

“…With regard to the difference in the degree of independence for transfers, one of the main reasons might be that the lateral transfer method does not require a high balancing ability or application of pedal force for interrupting the forward momentum of the body mass to prevent a fall in the forward direction during transfer. In the typical squat/stand-pivot transfer, patients must lift their buttocks to avoid hitting the armrest and wheel of the wheelchair to perform the transfer from a wheelchair to another surface [10,[20][21][22][23][24][25]. However, for LTAR, patients do not need to raise their centre of gravity and shift their centre of gravity mainly laterally along a horizontal plane [12][13][14].…”