WHEELCHAIR USER AND CAREGIVER EXPERIENCES WITH DRIVING A POWER WHEELCHAIR WITH A WORN CONTROLLER (SPOOCI)

Atrium

Objective. The purpose of this study was to test and develop an innovative method of driving power wheelchairs named SPOOCI (Self-referenced Personal Omni-purpose Orthotic Control Interface, US Patent # 8,244,655 B2, Hubbard-Winkler, 2012) for individuals who are candidates for power mobility but whose physical impairments prevent them from operating commercial wheelchair controls. This poster explores participant, clinician and caregiver experiences with using SPOOCI. Background. Most existing interfaces to power wheelchairs require either upper extremity control to use traditional proportional joysticks or discrete interfaces, or head control for use of a head pointer or chin joystick. As a result, use of standard interface strategies and interface products is ruled out for Individuals with severe motor impairment of the upper quadrants. SPOOCI can be worn anywhere on the body, so the power wheelchair user is not required to maintain contact with a joystick. Methods. Qualitative methods were used. A semi structured interview was administered, tape recorded, and transcribed. Participant, therapist, and caregivers were interviewed. The two structured interview questions were: 1. Describe your experiences with SPOOCI. 2. Tell me how you liked being in a research study. Results. The themes that emerged were: (1) A major issue with power wheelchair driving is ensuring proper fit of the wheelchair. When the participant had the correct wheelchair there driving performance improved. (2) Individuals with severe physical impairment enjoy being included in research. Conclusion. Advocacy is needed to so individuals with mobility disorders are provided with the appropriate power wheelchair. Grants. This research was supported by NIH Grant # 7R21HD053526-02, from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development