(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2012-06)
Hoenig, Helen; Griffiths, Patricia; Ganesh, Shanti; Caves, Kevin; Harris, Frances
Objective—This study examined the accuracy of new wheelchair user predictions about their
future wheelchair use.
Design—Prospective cohort study of 84 community dwelling veterans provided a new manual
wheelchair.
Results—The association between predicted and actual wheelchair use was strong at 3-months
(phi coefficient = .56), with 90% of those who anticipated using the wheelchair at 3-months still
using it (i.e., positive predictive value 0.96) and 60% of those who anticipated not using it indeed no longer using the wheelchair (i.e., negative predictive value 0.60, overall accuracy 0.92).
Predictive Accuracy diminished over time, with overall accuracy declining from 0.92 at 3-months
to 0.66 at 6-months. At all time points, and for all types of use, patients better predicted use as
opposed to disuse, with correspondingly higher positive than negative predictive values. Accuracy
of prediction of usage in specific indoor and outdoor locations varied according to location.
Conclusions—This study demonstrates the importance of better understanding the potential
mismatch between the anticipated and actual patterns of wheelchair use. The findings suggest that users can be relied upon to accurately predict their basic wheelchair-related needs in the short
term. Further exploration is needed to identify characteristics that will aid users and their providers
in more accurately predicting mobility needs for the long-term.