The McGill Wheelchair Simulator
Condition: Wheelchair (Powered) Colliding With Stationary Object
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study evaluates the effectiveness of a wheelchair simulator in the training of power
      wheelchair driving skills. Practice with the simulator takes place at home.
    

Detailed description: 
      Mobility impairment is a major form of disability affecting Canadians of all ages. In Canada,
      an estimated 0.6% of the general population need a wheelchair for mobility, while 20-30% of
      these require a powered wheelchair (PW). Powered mobility is instrumental in facilitating
      independence, promoting participation in meaningful life activities, and in decreasing the
      burden on caregivers. Recovering mobility through the use of a PW may result in improvements
      at the level of work, leisure and self-care. But because of their weight and speed, training
      is required, as for any other vehicle. Further, PWs have an inherent risk of causing injuries
      to the user or to bystanders, as well as damage to the environment. Therefore, assessment and
      training are critical, so that participants may learn how to safely and efficiently handle
      their PW, e.g., to avoid tips and falls, for maneuvering in tight spaces and to avoid
      collisions with furniture or bystanders. However, assessment and training in navigating
      crowded spaces or in complex route finding are often difficult to achieve in the clinic, due
      to lack of space or concerns for safety. There is no standardized training process and in
      practice, there is often little time for training during the PW delivery process. Further,
      both clinicians and PW users agree that the amount of training provided to new PW drivers is
      insufficient. To address these issues, team members have initiated work related to the
      development of McGill Immersive Wheelchair (miWe) simulator version 1.0. This computer
      software can be run in the clinic or at home, and has the potential to provide a robust
      platform for the assessment and training of complex PW driving skills.

      The objectives are: 1) to identify power wheelchair tasks that are challenging and/or unsafe
      and are likely to be encountered by power wheelchair users. Phase 2) To create simulator maps
      representing the tasks determined to be most challenging to users as per Phase 1. 3a) To
      evaluate, in new PW users, the feasibility and acceptability of power wheelchair training
      offered in a home-based simulator program that incorporates challenging tasks developed in
      Phase 2. 3b) To determine the preliminary comparative effectiveness of power wheelchair
      training using conventional training + a home-based simulator program VERSUS conventional
      training + home-based joystick and visuo-spatial training program on: driving skills
      (technical knowledge about wheelchair maneuvering and completion of driving tasks); driving
      performance (how the task is performed); and driving confidence.
    

Intervention name(s): Wheelchair simulator; Video game
Intervention type(s): Other; Other
Intervention description(s): Computer application providing 3D first person view of a wheelchair, with six different activities: street crossing, entering an elevator, entering an adapted van, bathroom, shopping mall and supermarket; 'Kart' driving video game
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: power wheelchair; virtual reality; skills