A validity study of guidelines for wheelchair selection.

Abstract

There is a risk that the inappropriate provision of wheelchairs is counter-productive to therapeutic goals. Guidelines for Wheelchair Selection for an Elderly Population were developed to define: a) whether a wheelchair is needed, and if so, whether it is required on a full or part-time basis, and b) which option will best promote the functional independence and comfort of the individual. A multidisciplinary study with a random sample of wheelchair user and non-user subjects established a high degree of reliability, validity and practical utility for these Guidelines for Wheelchair Selection.