The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #69387

Carla Walker, MS, OTR/L, Kerri Morgan, OTR/L, Holly Hollingsworth, PhD, and David B. Gray, PhD. Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University, 4444 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108, 314-286-1659, walkerc@msnotes.wustl.edu

A five-year project funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research has lead to the development of an evaluation battery to determine the impact of assistive technology (AT) in the community. The purpose of this project was to develop a practical outcome test battery that will provide essential information on AT and what influence AT has on participation by people with disabilities in major life activities.

This project consists of three parts: a reliability study, intervention study, and evaluation study. Results of the reliability study will be presented, including information from the following instruments: CORE, QUEST, PIADS, and CPRS. Research participants consist of persons with a mobility limitation, who identify their primary mobility device in the community to be a power wheelchair, manual wheelchair, scooter, or cane/crutch/walker. 120 participants/mobility device users were asked to complete a survey in their home, and then come to our Community Center for an in-depth interview. A second session was conducted one month later in the same setting, using the same methods to test reliability of the instruments. Information presented will include participants’ satisfaction with AT service delivery, psychosocial aspects of AT use, the correlation between AT use and personal assistance services, and community participation rates among mobility device users in all four categories.

Based on the reliability study findings, the intervention study will include all or part of the above mentioned assessments. In the final evaluation, 60 randomly selected participants will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the assessment and intervention process.

Learning Objectives:

• At the completion of the presentation, participants will be able to describe three benefits of a measurement system, which assesses individual participation levels and environmental factors.
• At the completion of the presentation, participants will be able to describe methodology for using an assistive technology outcome assessment battery
• At the completion of the presentation, participants will be able to identify three outcomes of the AT reliability study presented

Keywords: Assessments, Disability

Related Web page: enablemob.wustl.edu

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.