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To adapt the Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale for Manual Wheelchair Users, French-Canadian Version (WheelCon-M-F) into a paediatric version (WheelCon-M-F-P) and to evaluate its validity. A three-phase process was conducted: (1) item adaptation using secondary analysis of focus group data; (2) item refinement using a think-aloud process; and (3) preliminary validation of the WheelCon-M-F-P (i.e. internal consistency, test-retest reliability, standard error of measurement, smallest real difference, ceiling and floor effects, limits of agreement, and relations with other variables). Phase 1: The sample consisted of occupational therapists (n = 9), paediatric manual wheelchair users (PMWUs) (n = 12), and parents of PMWUs (n = 2). Of the 65 WheelCon-M-F items, 35 were removed, 25 modified and 6 were added for the WheelCon-M-F-P. Phase 2: 4 PMWUs helped refine 14 and remove 3 items. Phase 3: 22 PMWUs participated. Cronbach's alpha, test-retest reliability, standard error of measurement, and smallest real difference were 0.846, 0.818, 3.05, and 8.45 respectively. No ceiling or floor effects were demonstrated. Pearson correlations between the WheelCon-M-F-P and the Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (capacity, confidence, and performance), and the Child Occupational Self-Assessment were 0.688, 0.711, 0.584, and 0.687 respectively. This study provides preliminary evidence of a valid and reliable WheelCon-M-F-P. The Wheelchair Use Confidence Scale for Manual Wheelchair Users, French-Canadian Version (WheelCon-M-F-P) is an outcome measure that can be used clinically with pediatric manual wheelchair users. The WheelCon-M-F-P can help identify modifiable factors associated with wheelchair confidence. Identifying modifiable factors associated with wheelchair confidence can help guide clinicians in establishing a targeted intervention for their pediatric clients. Establishing a targeted intervention can help improve self-efficacy for wheelchair use and social participation of pediatric wheelchair users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manual wheelchair (MWC) confidence is a predictor of adult life-space mobility and social participation. To date, scientific literature specific to pediatric MWC confidence is scarce which prevents in-depth understanding. The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of pediatric MWC users (PMWU), parents, and occupational therapists regarding pediatric MWC confidence. Five focus groups were conducted with PMWUs (n = 12) and occupational therapists (n = 9), and semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of PMWUs (n = 2). Inductive thematic analysis was performed following verbatim transcription of audio recorded material. Three overarching themes were identified across PMWUs, parents, and occupational therapists: (1) "MWC confidence is not a clinical priority" depicted the construct's varying level of clinical priority and perceived abstractness; (2) "MWC confidence is both a child and parent consideration" revealed nuances between the PMWU's MWC confidence and the parents' perception of the PMWU's MWC confidence; and (3) "Opportunities to develop MWC confidence are context-specific" contrasted afforded and unafforded opportunities to experience independent MWC mobility. Pediatric MWC confidence is an important aspect of wheelchair use that is shaped by a multitude of factors in PMWU's lives. This new area of pediatric study provides support for the need to measure this important construct. This study is the first to explore children's, parents', and occupational therapists' perceptions of pediatric MWC confidence. Pediatric MWC confidence impacts MWC use in a multifaceted fashion. Future studies should consider the development and validation of a self-report measure to assess pediatric MWC confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appropriate wheelchair provision is necessary for addressing participation barriers experienced by individuals with mobility impairments. Health care professionals involved in the wheelchair service provision process require a specific set of skills and knowledge to enable wheelchair use that meets individual posture, mobility and daily living requirements. However, inconsistencies exist in academic programmes globally about providing comprehensive education and training programmes. The planned scoping review aims to review and synthesize the global literature on wheelchair service provision education for healthcare professional students, healthcare personnel and educators offered by universities, organizations and industries. This scoping review will be guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodological framework. Comprehensive literature searches will be conducted on various global electronic databases on health to seek out how wheelchair service provision education is organized, integrated, implemented and evaluated. Two independent reviewers will perform eligibility decisions and key data extractions. Data from selected studies will be extracted and analysed using conventional content analysis. Information related to wheelchair service provision education including curriculum development, content, teaching methods, evaluation and models of integration will be synthesized. The planned scoping review will be the first to examine all aspects of wheelchair service provision education across professionals, settings and countries. We anticipate that results will inform the content of a Wheelchair Educators' Package, and if appropriate, a follow-up systematic review. An article reporting the results of the scoping review will be submitted for publication to a scientific journal. A comprehensive examination of wheelchair service provision education could help develop strategies to address the unmet need for wheelchair services globally. Findings for this review will facilitate the planning and development of an evidence-based education package that could bridge the existing knowledge gaps related to safe and effective wheelchair service provision among health professionals involved. This review will also inform the potential barriers and enablers for effective integration and implementation of wheelchair service provision education worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives were: (1) to translate and adapt the International Society of Wheelchair Professional (ISWP) basic Wheelchair Service Provision Test (bWSPT) into French-Canadian and (2) to conduct a preliminary evaluation of the French-Canadian version of the ISWP bWSPT internal consistency and relations with other variables among French-Canadian occupational therapy students. For Phase 1, based on the International Test Commission Guidelines for Translating and Adapting Tests, a forward translation and adaptation from English to French-Canadian was conducted by a translation team. For Phase 2, the validity evidence of the French-Canadian bWSPT was evaluated through internal consistency and comparison of bWSPT scores and final grades of a wheelchair-specific course with a sample of occupational therapy students (positive, moderate correlation hypothesized). Internal consistency was measured with Cronbach's α. The correlation was calculated using the Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient. For phase 1, 61 of 167 items of the forward adaptation were revised and modified. All revisions were a consensus by the translation team. For phase 2, we found a Cronbach's α of 0.50 and a correlation of ⍴ = 0.27 (p = 0.43) between the bWSPT French-Canadian version and the wheelchair-specific course final grade. The low variability of the data may explain the lower-than-expected correlation. Other possible data-driven reasons have been explored using post-hoc analysis. The ISWP bWSPT, French-Canadian version, is not internally consistent and demonstrates a non-statistically significant, positive, weak correlation with the final grade of a wheelchair service provision-specific course among a cohort of 35 occupational therapy students. The lack of adequately educated wheelchair service providers is a contributing factor to inappropriate wheelchair provision worldwide. The ISWP Wheelchair Service Provision Basic Test (ISWP bWSPT) has been created to evaluate competency among wheelchair service providers and provides a standardized test recognized internationally. A French-Canadian version of the ISWP bWSPT allows competency testing of French-speaking wheelchair service providers across Canada. This study shows that the French-Canadian version of the test is not internally consistent and has a low correlation with a wheelchair provision-specific course among a cohort of 35 occupational therapy students at a French-Canadian university suggesting further refinement is required to improve its measurement properties in this population of test-takers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review aimed to collate and summarize available research literature about wheelchair service provision education available to healthcare professional students, healthcare personnel and educators across low- to high-resourced settings. The Joanna Briggs Institute methodological steps for scoping reviews were followed. Included studies were mainly sourced from Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Academic Search Complete and ProQuest. Independent title, abstract and full-text screening with defined inclusion and exclusion criteria was performed. All screening and extraction were performed independently by two authors. A thematic approach was used to synthesize results. Data extracted from included studies were charted according to a template that we created. The study quality was also appraised. A total of 25 articles were included (11, 36% from high-income settings) with 12 (48%) observational studies and 13 (52%) experimental studies. The literature addressed three main topics: (1) assessing wheelchair service provision knowledge, (2) implementing training interventions using in-person, online and/or hybrid learning approaches and (3) describing current wheelchair service provision education globally. The most frequently reported training programs used were the Wheelchair Skills Program and the World Health Organization Wheelchair Service Training Package – Basic Level. Limited information has been published about the integration of wheelchair content into the curricula of professional rehabilitation programs. Efforts to build international partnerships, improve the quality and currency of training programs and build resources that can assist educators in the integration of wheelchair-related content into professional rehabilitation programs should be prioritized. This is the first review that examined and synthesized the current state of wheelchair service provision education for rehabilitation students and personnel across low- to high-income countries. Findings from this review indicate that there is limited information about the integration of wheelchair-related content into professional rehabilitation programs. Efforts to build international partnerships, standardize wheelchair service provision content and evaluation and integrate training into professional rehabilitation programs worldwide should be prioritized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: An estimated 75 million people with disabilities need wheelchairs globally, of whom 5–15% have one. Access to an appropriate wheelchair requires rehabilitation professionals trained to provide wheelchair service. One aim of the International Society of Wheelchair Professionals (ISWP) is to promote and facilitate the integration of wheelchair service provision education into academic rehabilitation programs worldwide. To inform the development of integration strategies, the purpose of this study was to develop an in-depth global portrait of the wheelchair service provision education offered in academic rehabilitation programs, the process of its integration and the associated facilitators and barriers. Method: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 14 representatives from academic rehabilitation programs (i.e., occupational therapy, physical therapy, and prosthetics and orthotics) in 11 countries, including low, middle and upper resourced settings. Findings: Thematic data analyses identified three overarching themes. The first theme, "impact of context", portrays factors related to local population needs, governance and supply chain of equipment and service delivery. The second theme, "current and planned wheelchair education", describes the content, pedagogic approach, student evaluation and feedback process. The third theme, "integration process", details five states of this process. Conclusions: This study describes in-depth the wheelchair service provision education across academic rehabilitation programs and resource settings, illustrating the context-dependent nature of its integration. This understanding may assist the global community of educators in preparing future rehabilitation professionals to better serve wheelchair users. This work has informed the development of ISWP's Seating and Mobility Academic Resource Toolkit (). The Dynamics of Context-Dependent Integration of Wheelchair Service Provision Education in Curricula model, depicting the findings of this study, may help to inform key stakeholders (i.e., academic institutions, health care providers and policy makers) about potential barriers and facilitators to the implementation of adequate wheelchair service provision education in the curricula of academic rehabilitation program. Study findings may lead to creative strategies, such as the expansion of ISWP's Seating and Mobility Academic Resource Toolkit (SMART; ), that may enable academic rehabilitation programs to be a part of the solution to strengthening rehabilitation systems worldwide, through appropriately trained rehabilitation professionals in wheelchair service provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About 65 million people use wheelchairs worldwide. Powered wheelchairs offer independent mobility for those who find it difficult to propel a manual wheelchair. Previous studies have described powered wheelchairs as a mixed blessing for the users in terms of usability, accessibility, safety, cost and stigma; however, few studies have explored their impact on mobility and participation over time. Therefore, as part of a larger longitudinal study, we used a combined retrospective and prospective lifecourse perspective to explore the experiences of older adult powered wheelchair users. Based on the interpretive description approach, 19 participants took part in a series of semi-structured interviews over a two-year period about their mobility, social participation and ageing process. The participants were powered wheelchair users, at least 50 years of age, recruited in Vancouver, Montreal and Quebec City (Canada). We identified three themes that highlighted how the powered wheelchair experience was integrated into the life continuum of the users. 'It's my legs' emphasised how powered wheelchairs are a form of mobility that not only enables users to take part in activities, but also impacts their identities, past and present. 'Wheels of change' explored the dynamic nature of powered wheelchair use and changes related to ageing. 'Getting around' illustrated how users' mobility was affected by the interaction with their physical and social environments. Developing public policies to advance social and environmental changes could help countries to ensure equity of access and social inclusion of those ageing with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introducing innovations such as telerehabilitation (TR) into routine care involves complex changes in organizations. This study protocol aims to (1) examine the extent to which a TR platform was implemented as intended in three clinical settings and (2) identify which TR activities were becoming integrated into routine clinical practices, and which factors affect the routine use of the platform. A mixed-method prospective single-case study design with multiple embedded units of analysis will be used. Pre/post-implementation data collection will focus on implementation leaders, clinical champions, upper management, and clinical staff. Qualitative data include semistructured individual interviews with leaders, champions, and upper management as well as focus groups with clinical staff who are users and non-users of the TR platform. Quantitative data include TR use data and TR implementation questionnaires. The consolidated framework for implementation research will be used to analyze the implementation process and normalization process theory will be used to analyze the embedding of TR in routine daily practice. The project is expected to yield evidence regarding which specific TR activities are implemented in day-to-day clinical activities as well as capture threats and opportunities to normalization at a critical moment when it is expected to occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]