Outcome measures for wheelchair and seating: a critical appraisal

Background: Literature suggests that every aspect of wheelchair provision from referral to follow up and management has an impact on overall outcomes for wheelchair service users. The use of outcome measures (OMs) is called for to ensure best practice in this complex area. Objectives: To identify available outcome measures suitable for the evaluation of a wheelchair intervention and critically appraise measures deemed most suitable in terms of achievement of activity & participation and impact of the service on quality of life. Methods: OMs were be identified using databases: Medline, CINHAL, PsychInfo, and Google Scholar. An evaluation was conducted to establish those particularly useful and a critical appraisal was completed on these. Results: The five OMs identified as most relevant were the Wheelchair Outcome Measure (WhOM); Functioning Everyday in a Wheelchair (FEW); Goal Attainment Scale (GAS); Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scales (PIADS); and the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with assistive Technology (QUEST). A critical appraisal was competed on these identifying the strengths and limitations of each. Conclusion: No one outcome measure captures all necessary information and trade-offs are inevitable. When choosing an outcome measure for a service, the specific goals of the service evaluation and resources available need to be considered. This research presents a critical appraisal of five outcome measures deemed appropriate for the evaluation of a wheelchair intervention and highlights some areas for consideration so an informed decision can be made.