Translation, extension, and evaluation of usability, usefulness, and safety of a fall prevention and management program for people living with spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis who use wheelchairs or scooters full time.
Laura A Rice, Malaak Yehya, Jennifer Yi and 2 others
PMID 39363989WHAT IT FOUND
Participants reported no technical barriers to the online program and valued peer interaction.
They described increased awareness of fall risks and modified tasks, but did not report improved participation in daily activities.
Key findings
01All participants had sufficient internet access and reported no barriers to engaging with the online meetings or streaming video materials.
02Participants described gaining heightened awareness of fall potential and modifying tasks, though perceptions of fall frequency and fear of falling varied between decreased and no change.
03Participants did not report a perception of improvement in meaningful activities post-intervention, attributing this lack of change to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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
The study included only five participants who completed the intervention, which is too small to determine effectiveness or generalizability. Results are based on self-report and may be influenced by social desirability bias. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, which likely confounded findings related to community participation and quality of life. The study evaluated usability and safety, not clinical efficacy on fall rates.
Declared interests
No specific funding source or conflict of interest declaration is provided in the text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the participants' reports of increased awareness and modified tasks as evidence that the program reduces falls or improves community participation. This was a small usability study, not an efficacy trial, and the lack of change in participation was attributed to the pandemic rather than the intervention itself.