Date of Award

4-2024

Degree Type

Capstone Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Mark Schmeler

Second Advisor

Holly Grieves

Abstract

Issues with wheelchair equipment is a common experience for users, but access to repairs and maintenance isn’t always the most efficient process. A large portion of occupational therapy’s (OT) patient population includes wheelchair users, so it’s important to consider the impact of wheelchair breakdown on a patient’s daily function. There has been a lack of research on wheelchair repair frequency during the first year of ownership, so this capstone project focused on developing a manuscript for journal submission on this topic. This was achieved utilizing data from the Functional Mobility Assessment/Uniform Data Set (FMA/UDS) Registry. Client characteristics were extracted from the registry to determine any significance on wheelchair repairs. The data analysis identified client age, device use, and device type as significant. Subcategories of device use and device type, High (≥ 9 hours) and power wheelchairs (PWCs) Group 3, were also deemed significant. Results of this study prove that even in the early stages of device ownership, repairs and maintenance are a necessity. The evidence in support of wheelchair repair accessibility can be utilized to advocate for a preventative maintenance schedule, which would help in the avoidance of equipment failure that compromises the user’s ability to participate in daily activity.

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Available for download on Wednesday, May 28, 2025

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