Effectiveness of a Remote Wheelchair Maintenance Training Program

Up to 100 individuals will be recruited for this research study. We will recruit individuals who use a wheelchair for the majority of their mobility (over 40 hours per week), and have a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). This study will be accessed entirely online and participation is expected to last approximately one year. Subjects will select to participate in one of three groups; one group that will receive maintenance training immediately with no follow up, one group that will receive the maintenance training immediately with 1 month and 6 month follow up, and one group that will be randomized to either receive the maintenance training immediately or after 6 months. The maintenance training program itself will take approximately 1-2 hours to complete.

After obtaining informed consent, participants in the first two groups will complete baseline questionnaires. They will then receive the maintenance training program.

Participants in the third group (a wait-list control group) will complete the baseline questionnaires and be contacted one month later to complete a wheelchair maintenance assessment questionnaire. They will then wait 5 months. After this period, participants will complete the baseline questionnaires a second time, and then receive the wheelchair maintenance training.

After completing the maintenance training, all groups will be contacted immediately post training to complete additional questionnaires to assess the effectiveness of the remote training program. Participants in the 2nd and 3rd group will be contacted 1 month and 6 months post-training to complete additional questionnaires. Participants may be compensated for their time.