The SmartWheel Users Group
In early 2004, a SmartWheel Users Group was established to create an active pipeline of shared information on SmartWheel use and to keep leading clinics in touch with each other. The Users Group includes outstanding clinics such as:
- The Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
- Craig Hospital, Denver, CO
- The Miami Project/Jackson Memorial Hospital
- Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix
- The Kessler Medical Rehabilitation group in New Jersey
- Memorial Hermann | TIRR, Houston, TX
- Shriners Hospital for Children-Philadelphia
- The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH
- The Center for Assistive Technology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
- Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital in Chicago
- The University College of London
Standard Clinical Protocol
A major achievement of the Users Group has been the establishment of a standard protocol for SmartWheel use in the clinic. The purpose of the standard protocol is to make wheelchair propulsion assessment:
- Straightforward and easy to conduct for the clinician and for the client.
- Readily comparable across different sites.
- Applicable across a variety of mobility disabilities.
The standard protocol, which consists of four basic elements (propulsion over tile, carpet, up a ramp, and through a figure 8) has been in use (and refined) by the Users Group for almost two years.
Database Creation and the Development of Normative Standards
Another acheivement of the Users Group has been the creation of a database of wheelchair propulusion assessments. The creation and continued growth of this database is facilitated by: 1) The propulsion assessment reports that are automatically generated by the SmartWheel following each session, and 2) The use of the standard protocol which makes the propulsion data readily comparable across different sites.
This database is helping to facilitate the development of normative standards which will assist in the processes of identifying individuals for whom wheelchair prescription is appropriate, justifying equipment selection (e.g., manual vs. power), and the quantification of the impact of wheelchair set-up or training on key propulsion indices of consistency and/or compliance with the clinical guidelines. The database also provides the invaluable ability to compare a client's propulsion characteristics from one clinic visit to the next.
