A Systematic Review of Outcomes Measured Following New Wheelchair and Seating-Prescription Interventions in Adults.
Belinda Robertson, Rachel Lane, Natasha Lannin and 2 others
PMID 36968160WHAT IT FOUND
Wheelchair and seating studies mostly measured how much the device was used and user satisfaction.
Goal attainment, cost, environmental factors and major life events were less commonly measured, and many tools were made just for each study.
Key findings
01Wheelchair use was the most common outcome measured, reported in 27 studies.
02User satisfaction with the wheelchair was next most common, with 11 studies using QUEST 2.0.
03Study-specific outcome tools were used in 39 studies, while 37 standardized tools were used overall.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Most studies (40/45; 89%) used cross-sectional or cohort designs, and only one quasi-experimental trial was included, so the review cannot show whether a wheelchair or seating system caused changes in outcomes. The included studies varied widely in populations, devices, outcome tools and quality, which makes comparison across studies difficult. Study-specific tools were used in 39 studies, so results may not be transferable to other services or settings. The search is described as without language restrictions, but the authors state that excluding studies not in English may have prevented review of high-quality studies using alternative tools. Gray literature and conference proceedings were excluded. Quality ratings may have been influenced by including studies from 1992 to 2021, because reporting quality improved over time.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that new wheelchairs improve participation, quality of life, or satisfaction. It maps which outcomes researchers measured after prescription, and most included studies were observational rather than trials.