ABSTRACT

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop a Korean version of the manual Wheelchair Skills Training Program for hemiplegia (K-WSTP), and evaluate its effectiveness for improving the wheelchair mobility of hemiplegic patients. Methods: Twenty-four subjects were selected to evaluate the effectiveness of the K-WSTP. Of them, six hemiplegic patients requiring assistance when using a manual wheelchair participated as the training group. The other 18 subjects were selected into comparison groups, i.e., independent hemiplegic patients, college students, and occupational therapists, each consisting of 6 persons. All subjects were evaluated based on WST(Wheelchair Skills Test), COPM(Canadian Occupational Perfomance Measure), K-MBI(Korean version of Modified Barthel Index and their subjective opinions before and after implementing the K-WSTP. Results: The results show that the training group was significantly improved (p<.05) in terms of the WST and K-MBI after training. The performance score and degree of satisfaction after training did not show a statistical significance (p>.05) between the training and comparison groups. Of the total subjects, 18.2% expressed their opinion regarding the difficulties in wheelchair movements such as ‘turn in place’ and ‘maneuver sideways’, whereas the training group expressed an opinion regarding the difficulties in a ‘level transfer’ and ‘relieving weight from the buttocks.’ (note from editor, please check the red sentence carefully to make sure it matches your original intention.) Conclusion: The developed K-WSTP showed improvements in wheelchair skills, independence, individual performance, and satisfaction. It is expected that this study will enhance the motivation toward rehabilitation, improving one's mobility in daily life, and contribute to the quality of life of hemiplegic patients.