User Experiences with Two New Wheelchair Securement Systems in Large Accessible Transit Vehicles

2020 ◽  
pp. 036119812095443
Author(s):  
Jimin Choi ◽  
Jordana L. Maisel ◽  
Brittany Perez ◽  
Don Nguyen ◽  
Victor Paquet
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
User Group ◽  
User Experiences ◽  
Wheelchair User ◽  
Wheelchair Users ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Manual Wheelchair ◽  
Final Interview ◽  
Transit Agencies

Wheelchair securement designs for fixed route, large accessible transit vehicles (LATVs) often create difficulties for passengers who use wheelchairs and operational inefficiencies for public transit agencies. Recent innovations in wheelchair securement technology for LATVs may reduce these challenges. This field study builds on a recent lab study that used a full-scale LATV simulation apparatus to address similar knowledge gaps. The current study used a mixed-methods approach to explore the usability of two newer wheelchair securement systems currently installed in LATVs in Buffalo, NY: a 3-point, forward-facing (3P-FF) securement system and a semi-automated, rear-facing (SA-RF) securement system. Three groups of wheelchair users (manual wheelchair [MWC], power wheelchair [PWC], and scooter [SC] users; n = 40) completed a pre-study interview, four trips on the LATVs and accompanying surveys, and a final interview. Using multiple usability rating scales, findings indicated clear differences in ratings of difficulty and acceptability between securement systems by wheelchair user group, with the SA-RF outperforming the 3P-FF on most usability measures for MWC and PWC users. SC users consistently rated both securement systems as more difficult to use and the SA-RF securement as less acceptable than MWC and PWC users.

General Uncertainty Analysis for Manual Wheelchair Propulsion Dynamics and Development of an Instrumented Wheel

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-150
Author(s):  
M. Mallakzadeh ◽  
F. Sassani
Keyword(s):  
Uncertainty Analysis ◽  
Angular Position ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Wheelchair Propulsion ◽  
Wheelchair User ◽  
Wheelchair Users ◽  
Manual Wheelchair ◽  
Taylor Series Expansions ◽  
Propulsion Phase

Manual wheelchair propulsion (MWP) is an inefficient and physically straining process. A reliably fabricated and instrumented wheel can help researchers to accurately calculate the forces and moments exerted by the wheelchair users and propose strategies to improve MWP. In this study, an instrumented wheel is designed, fabricated, and validated by using general uncertainty analysis. A six-component transducer is used to measure three-dimensional forces and moments applied by the wheelchair user on the handrim. The output of the transducer are forces and moments, which are directly transmitted to a PC using a USB port. By developing the transformation equations, the actual forces and moments on the hand of the wheelchair user are calculated. The angular position of the hand on the handrim is calculated from the kinetic data obtained through the instrumented wheel, and the derived equations. The general uncertainty analysis method is used to calculate the uncertainty values for the variables of interest with the Taylor series expansions. An analysis of the results shows that it is possible to obtain reliable information for MWP by using the instrumented wheel. Most of the data have uncertainties under 5% during much of the propulsion phase, and the patterns and overall behavior of the results are comparable to published data.

scholarly journals Perspectives of wheelchair users with spinal cord injury on fall circumstances and fall prevention: A mixed methods approach using photovoice

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. e0238116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hardeep Singh ◽  
Carol Y. Scovil ◽  
Geoff Bostick ◽  
Anita Kaiser ◽  
B. Catharine Craven ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Fall Prevention ◽  
Wheelchair Users ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Cord Injury

Improving insight in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and understanding insight from a patient perspective - a mixed methods study

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1410-1410
Author(s):  
R. Joergensen ◽  
L. Hansson ◽  
V. Zoffmann ◽  
P. Munk-Joergensen
Keyword(s):  
Grounded Theory ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Social Functioning ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Self Rating ◽  
Cognitive Insight ◽  
Patients Perspective

The method Guided Self-Determination (GSD), originally developed and proven effective in difficult diabetes care, has been adjusted to patients with schizophrenia. Currently a randomised controlled study investigates if the method GSD has effect on the outcomes insight, self-esteem, recovery, psychopathology and social functioning when applied in psychiatric care in 3 Assertive Outreach Teams and 3 Psychosis Teams.As an extension from the RCT we just started a qualitative study using Classic Grounded Theory. The overall approach is a Mixed Methods Approach with a Sequential Explanatory Strategy.The RCT hypothesize that the method GSD improves both clinical and cognitive insight in patients, measured by Birchwood Insight Scale and Beck Cognitive Insight Scale that both are self-rating scales. Lack of insight into illness is often associated with patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Also poorer treatment compliance, clinical outcome, social functioning and response to vocational rehabilitation are linked to lack of insight.In the literature lack of insight is a complex and multi dimensional phenomenon with disagreement on etiology but always described and investigated from health professionals’ perspective. Both insight self-rating scales are also developed by and represent health professionals’ perspective on insight. Apparently it appears that the patients’ perspective and understanding of insight is missing in the literature.The qualitative study will both aim on identifying patients’ perspective on insight, emerging in a grounded theory and the grounded theory elaborating on the results on clinical and cognitive insight from the RCT.The poster will illustrate the two designs in a Mixed Methods Approach.

Design and Development of an Elevating/Articulating Manual Wheelchair Legrest

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allen H. Hoffman ◽  
Eric D. Couture
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord Injuries ◽  
Pressure Sores ◽  
Undesirable Effect ◽  
Leg Length ◽  
Wheelchair User ◽  
Center Of Rotation ◽  
Wheelchair Users ◽  
Physical Strength ◽  
Manual Wheelchair ◽  
Natural Motion

The function of elevating legrests is to reposition a wheelchair user to increase circulation and to redistribute pressure thereby increasing comfort and minimizing the risk of pressure sores. Three categories of wheelchair users can benefit from elevating legrests; those who cannot sense discomfort in their lower extremities (spinal cord injuries), those that lack the physical strength to reposition themselves (muscular dystrophy), and those that lack the coordination to reposition themselves (cerebral palsy). Elevating legrests that rotate about a fixed point lower than the center of the knee will shorten the effective leg length, push against the foot and cause torque at the user’s hip. Raising the center of rotation to coincide with the knee has the undesirable effect of interfering with transfers to and from the wheelchair. To match the motion of the leg, an elevating legrest having a center of rotation below the axis of the knee must articulate (lengthen) when being raised. Currently available articulating designs generally require outside assistance to operate [1, 2] or potentially impede wheelchair transfers. The goal of our work was to design, construct and evaluate a user-operated, elevating legrest that accurately follows the natural motion of the user’s leg.

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