Quantitative Exploratory Evaluation of the Frequency, Causes and
                        Consequences of Rehabilitation Wheelchair Breakdowns delivered at a
                        Paediatric Clinic in Mexico

Toro, Maria Luisa; Garcia, Yasmin; Ojeda, Alejandra; Dausey, David J.; Pearlman, Jonathan

doi:10.5463/dcid.v23i3.167

Cited by 27 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…More than 60% of users in a regional study from South Africa agreed that the wheelchair allowed satisfactory indoor and outdoor mobility (Visagie, Duffield & Unger 2015). Environmental barriers were not explored in any one of the studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is any wheelchair better than no wheelchair? A Zimbabwean perspective

Visagie

Mlambo

Veen³

et al. 2015

Afr. j. disabil.

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BackgroundWithin a rights-based paradigm, wheelchairs are essential in the promotion of user autonomy, dignity, freedom, inclusion and participation.ObjectivesThis paper aimed to describe a group of Zimbabwean wheelchair users’ satisfaction with wheelchairs, wheelchair services and wheelchair function.MethodA mixed method, descriptive study was done. Quantitative data was collected from 94 consecutively sampled wheelchair users, who accessed wheelchair services at 16 clinics in five Zimbabwean provinces between October 2013 and February 2014, using the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology for adults and children and Functioning Every day with a Wheelchair questionnaire. Qualitative data were collected through two focus group discussions (22 participants) and two case studies with participants purposively sampled from those who participated in the quantitative phase.ResultsMore than 60% of participants were dissatisfied with the following wheelchair features: durability (78.6%), weight (75.6%), ease of adjustment (69.1%), effectiveness (69.0%), safety (66.7%), reliability (66.7%), and meeting user needs (60.6%). Similarly, more than 66% of participants were dissatisfied with various services aspects: professional services (69.0%), follow-up (67.0%), and service delivery (68.3%). Although 60% of participants agreed that the wheelchair contributed to specific functions, more than 50% of participants indicated that the features of the wheelchair did not allow in- (53.2%) and outdoor (52.7%) mobility.ConclusionFindings indicate high levels of dissatisfaction with wheelchair features and services, as well as mobility. It is recommended that policy and minimum service standards which incorporate evidence and good practice guidelines for wheelchair services and management of wheelchair donations are developed for Zimbabwe.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is any wheelchair better than no wheelchair? A Zimbabwean perspective

Visagie

Mlambo

Veen³

et al. 2015

Afr. j. disabil.

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“…Caster failure modes found during wheelchair testing studies [29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41] and field trials [11,13,14,[47][48][49] were compiled. They were manually screened for inclusion in C-FIT by a wheelchair testing engineer with 7 years of testing experience and a technician with over 20 years of experience in wheelchair maintenance.…”

Section: Initial C-fit Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wheelchairs are known to experience frequent repairs and breakdowns. Product evaluation studies from Kenya, India and Mexico have reported breakdowns and multiple part failures with casters, brakes, seats and tires within 2-3 months to two years of wheelchair use [11][12][13][14][15]. In a series of cross-sectional survey studies conducted in the United States, about 44-64% of wheelchair users reported at least one breakdown within 6months of wheelchair use and nearly one-third of them suffered immediate consequences such as being stranded or injured and missing school, work or appointments [16][17][18][19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among different wheelchair part repairs reported in field evaluation studies, casters have been found to fail frequently with diverse failure modes [11][12][13][14]16,26]. Locked bearings, damaged bolts, wheels and forks, worn-out tires and missing fasteners are common caster failures (Figure 1) [26].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The group is developing quality testing standards for manufacturers and service providers that will improve reliability and usability of wheelchairs in less-resourced settings. Wheelchair casters are known to fail frequently based on evidence and hence, the caster testing protocol has been prioritized for development [11,12,14,[26][27][28]42]. For improving the external validity of the protocol, ISWP-SWG is seeking to validate testing to field performance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Development, reliability, and piloting of a wheelchair caster failure inspection tool (C-FIT)

Mhatre

Lachell

Pearlman

2019

Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology

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Introduction: Wheelchair casters fail frequently in the field causing multiple user consequences and wheelchair breakdowns. To inform caster design improvement, there exists no validated tools that can collect caster failures. This need motivated the development of a user-reported, caster failure inspection tool (C-FIT). Methods: To develop C-FIT, a multistep design and testing approach was used which included face validity testing, test-retest reliability testing and expert review. Reliability testing was conducted with two independent cohorts of wheelchair professionals who inspected caster failures physically and online through pictures. The tool was revised based on testing outcomes and expert feedback. For preliminary data collection and evaluating usability, C-FIT was piloted at wheelchair service centers in Scotland, Indonesia and Mexico. Results: Caster failure items reported in the literature were screened to develop the initial list of C-FIT items. Face validity testing conducted through surveys with wheelchair experts (n ¼ 6) provided 14 items for C-FIT inclusion. The test-retest reliability was found to be high for 10 items with physical failure inspections (n ¼ 12). For each of these items, 75% or more participants had substantial to almost perfect agreement scores (j ¼ 0.6-1.0). Lower reliability scores were found with online failure inspections (n ¼ 11). C-FIT received positive usability feedback from study participants and data collectors in the field. Pilot field data (n ¼ 31) included comprehensive details about failures useful for manufacturers, designers and researchers to improve caster designs. Conclusions: The C-FIT tool developed in this study has substantial reliability and can be used for documenting caster failures at wheelchair service centers. ä IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Collecting data on caster failures is an important first step to inform design improvements and caster quality testing methods. The caster failure inspection tool is a reliable tool that can be used during wheelchair repair and servicing to collect caster failures in a standardized way. The failure data can be used by wheelchair manufacturers, designers, technicians and researchers to develop reliable caster designs. Wheelchair providers can select caster designs based on context of use.

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A Paired Outcomes Study Comparing Two Pediatric Wheelchairs for Low-Resource Settings: The Regency Pediatric Wheelchair and a Similarly Sized Wheelchair Made in Kenya

Rispin

Wee

2014

Assistive Technology

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This comparative study of two similar wheelchairs designed for less-resourced settings provides feedback to manufacturers, informing ongoing improvement in wheelchair design. It also provides practical familiarity to clinicians in countries where these chairs are available, in their selection of prescribed wheelchairs. In Kenya, 24 subjects completed 3 timed skills and assessments of energy cost on 2 surfaces in each of 2 wheelchairs: the Regency pediatric chair and a pediatric wheelchair manufactured by the Association of the Physically Disabled of Kenya (APDK). Both wheelchairs are designed for and distributed in less-resourced settings. The Regency chair significantly outperformed the APDK chair in one of the energy cost assessments on both surfaces and in one of three timed skills tests.

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Quantitative Exploratory Evaluation of the Frequency, Causes and Consequences of Rehabilitation Wheelchair Breakdowns delivered at a Paediatric Clinic in Mexico

Abstract: ABSTRACT

Cited by 27 publications

References 26 publications

Is any wheelchair better than no wheelchair? A Zimbabwean perspective

Is any wheelchair better than no wheelchair? A Zimbabwean perspective

Development, reliability, and piloting of a wheelchair caster failure inspection tool (C-FIT)

A Paired Outcomes Study Comparing Two Pediatric Wheelchairs for Low-Resource Settings: The Regency Pediatric Wheelchair and a Similarly Sized Wheelchair Made in Kenya

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