The Use of Virtual Technology as an Intervention for Wheelchair Skills Training: A Systematic Review

Publication date: Available online 10 March 2018
Source:Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Author(s): Jean-François Lam, Laurent Gosselin, Paula W. Rushton
ObjectiveTo provide a comprehensive description of the current state of knowledge regarding the use of virtual technology (VT) for wheelchair skills training.Data sourcesThe Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, ACM, IEEE Xplore, Inspec, and Web of Science databases were searched for relevant articles from 1990 to February 2016.Study selectionWe included peer-reviewed studies or long conference proceedings that examined the use of VT as a medium to provide a wheelchair skills training intervention for any population with any diagnosis using any research design. One investigator screened the titles and abstracts, then 2 investigators independently reviewed the full-text articles. Disagreements regarding inclusion were resolved by consensus or a third reviewer. Ten studies were included out of 4994 initially identified.Data extractionTwo investigators extracted data to systematically assess the studies' findings into 6 tables (study design and participant characteristics, equipment and technology used, intervention characteristics, outcome measures, and outcomes).Data synthesisMost studies demonstrated that VT wheelchair skills training showed improved outcomes such as simulation score, completion time, and number of collisions in the virtual environment and/or in real world. However, subject characteristics, equipment, virtual environment, intervention tasks, and outcome measures varied across the studies.ConclusionsThere exists a variety of studies using VT as an intervention for wheelchair skills training. Given the positive outcomes for most of the studies, it appears as though VT may indeed be a solution that can help to alleviate barriers to wheelchair skills training and subsequently improve wheelchair user skill.



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