Virtual Peer Coaching in Manual Wheelchair Skills

NCT06295146 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: STUDY23050075
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 132
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of remote manual wheelchair skills training program. First, peer coaches will be enrolled and trained. Then, trainees will be enrolled into one of three interventions: intervention with remote feedback (Group 1), and a wait list control group (Group 2).

Conditions

Wheelchair; Paraplegia; Spinal Cord Injury; Tetraplegia/Tetraparesis; Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI)

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Capacity, confidence, and performance of wheelchair skills will improve following training

  Compare the results of the Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q) between groups. The WST-Q is a self report measure of capacity (ability to complete), confidence, and performance (frequency of completing) wheelchair skills. The WST-Q will measured for each of 16 skills targeted in the training and a total score for each domain will be calculated.

  6 months

Secondary Outcomes (10)

• Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q) improvement from baseline following training

  Post-training (2 mo assessment for groups 1 and 3; 8 mo assessment for group 2)

• Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q) improvement from baseline (6 months)

  6 months post training (6 mo assessment for groups 1 and 3; 12 mo assessment for group 2)

• Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q) improvement from baseline (12 months)

  1 year

• Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) improvement from baseline (post training)

  Post-training (2 mo assessment for groups 1 and 3; 8 mo assessment for group 2)

• Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique Short Form (CHART-SF) Mobility improvement (6 months)

  6 months

Study Arms (3)

Active intervention (intervention A)

EXPERIMENTAL

Active intervention (intervention A) which will include training through peer coaching

Other: Intervention A: 1-on-1 wheelchair skills training by a peer coach

Waitlist control group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Waitlist control group that will receive the same intervention A but at 6 months

Other: Intervention A: 1-on-1 wheelchair skills training by a peer coach

Self-study intervention

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Self-study intervention with review of educational materials

Other: Intervention B: Training via educational videos

Interventions

Intervention A: 1-on-1 wheelchair skills training by a peer coach OTHER

Trainees will engage in 1:1 virtual zoom meetings facilitated by the study team scheduled weekly for 6 sessions with the opportunity for 2 makeup sessions. Sessions will last approximately 30 minutes and may include goal setting, review of progress, instruction, and "homework" of prescribed content for trainees to review. Participants may upload videos of themselves completing skills through Qualtrics to get feedback.

Active intervention (intervention A); Waitlist control group

Intervention B: Training via educational videos OTHER

Intervention B will be a series of educational videos that participants review and then are encouraged to the practice the skills. Participants will have access to the materials for 8 weeks. Group 3 will have access to approximately 3 hours of wheelchair skills video training content. Actual viewing time will depend upon the individual's training goal. While they will receive a weekly reminder about practicing, there is no prescribed frequency for how often they should be practicing the skills in the videos.

Self-study intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Coaches:
• At least 18 years old
• Non-progressive SCI
• Able to speak and read English
• Reside in the community
• Independently use a manual wheelchair for at least 50% of mobility
• Coaches with paraplegia:
• \- Able to complete all skills targeted by the intervention, except stair ascent, (WST-Q item scores 2) independently.
• Coaches with tetraplegia:
• \- Able to complete all skills targeted by the intervention with or without assistance
• Trainees:
• At least 18 years old
• Non-progressive SCI
• Able to speak and read English
• Reside in the community

You may not qualify if:

• none

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Pittsburgh: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15219, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Paraplegia; Spinal Cord Injuries; Quadriplegia

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Paralysis; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Spinal Cord Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Trauma, Nervous System; Wounds and Injuries

Study Officials

• Lynn Worobey, PhD/DPT

  University of Pittsburgh

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Lee Tempest, BS

CONTACT

412-232-9326; tempestml@upmc.edu

Debbie Harrington, BS

CONTACT

412-383-1355; debbie.harrington@pitt.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: SEQUENTIAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: For trainees, we will use a randomized, single-blinded, two-period cross-over study design for Groups 1 and 2. Participants will complete baseline assessments and then be randomized to either Group 1 or Group 2. After we have completed enrollment for Groups 1 and 2 (N=40 per group) we will enroll participants into Group 3 ( N=40 per group).

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 27, 2024
• First Posted: March 6, 2024
• Study Start: June 25, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 30, 2027
• Last Updated: April 14, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Locations

US (1)