“Exploring the application of the wheelchair outcome measure (WhOM) as an outcome measure for people with complex needs – a single case study”

Outcome measurement is beneficial to Occupational Therapy practice by providing evidence on the effectiveness of intervention which is essential to develop services. The Wheelchair Outcome Measure (WhOM) is specific to seating provision and is described in the literature as a tool which measures individualised outcomes related to body function and active participation. The WhOM was identified by SeatTech as a measure that could be potentially used within their service and worthy of further investigation. A single case study was used for this research. The participant was selected from a convenience sample of individuals attending a SeatTech clinic. A qualitative semistructured interview was carried out and the WhOM was piloted at three stages, before, on receipt and four weeks after receiving intervention. The interview was audio recorded and the findings were reported. The WhOM is useful for evaluating outcomes for a person with complex needs however, findings highlighted that some areas of evaluation proved limited depending on the assessment and delivery setting, for example, setting goals at home and in the community when the intervention was primarily located in clinical settings. The WhOM also failed to identify issues in relation to skin breakdown. The tool provides pre and post measurement and required adaptation to measure outcomes over time. Wheelchair and Seating Provision is a primary need for a person’s survival and essential freedom. Evidence based practice is essential to evaluate and develop services. The WhOM goes some way to doing this however, further research and development of this tool would be beneficial.