Effectiveness of Wheelchair Skills Training Program of Patients with Spinal Cord Injuries in Sirindhorn National Medical Rehabilitation Institute

Abstract

This study was a quasi-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test. The objective of the study aimed to assess and compare wheelchair skills and the quality of life of patients with spinal cord injuries at the Sirindhorn National Medical Rehabilitation Institute before and after participating in the program. Subject of 30 spinal cord injury patients, purposely selected from those who used a manual wheelchair and were able to receive wheelchair training at least five times or more. The instruments used were an interview with WHOQOL-BREF-THAI and the manual wheelchair skills test. Data was collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-test statistics. 

           The results showed that the majority of the subjects were 80.0% diagnosed with paraplegia patients, male, who had an average age of 33 years (20 to 53 years). Their wheelchair skills before and after training. They were able to appropriately perform every item as follows: basic skills (53.3% and 100.0 %), advanced skills (3.3%and 33.3 %), and special skills (0.0% and 3.3%), respectively. The quality of life before participation in the program and after returning home for 1 month at a moderate level. Therefore, in order for such a program to be sustainable, we suggest they should be periodically monitored after the patient returns home, additional studies should be conducted in cases where caregivers or relatives are involved, and factors affecting the quality of life for future study.