Measuring the Benefits of Guide Dog Mobility with the Orientation and Mobility Outcomes (OMO) Tool

Abstract

ABSTRACTGuide dog (GD) mobility is part of the broader field of Orientation and Mobility, but there is a service gap between the numbers of people who have a GD and those who could benefit from GD mobility. There is also a shift in the GD industry from standardized GD services that focus on dog production and capability toward person-centered practice. There is a resulting need to measure the person-centered outcomes of GD mobility training, but to date no appropriate measures have been available. This embedded, mixed methods study with a QUAL/quan priority investigated the benefits of guide dog mobility with clients (n = 51) from Guide Dogs Victoria, Australia using grounded theory methodology, as a foundation for measuring the outcomes of guide dog mobility training. In 2015–2016, semi-structured interviews explored clients’ lifestyle choices, functional vision, orientation and mobility skills, and guide dog mobility. Two new assessment tools were also piloted, comprised of co-rated, behaviorally anchored ordinal scales, with ratings warranted by participants’ comments. The tools were feasible to implement and reduced qualitative information about Orientation and Mobility Outcomes (OMO) and Vision-Related Outcomes in Orientation and Mobility (VROOM) each to a number out of 50, facilitating comparisons. The study found that a guide dog (1) enabled and improved travel, (2) fostered connections, (3) enhanced wellbeing, and (4) empowered clients. The OMO tool captured these benefits, showing content validity as an outcome measure to evaluate GD training programs. The resulting measurement data could be used to review the results of guide dog production, evaluate client readiness, inform matching decisions, customize client–dog training, and measure the person-centered outcomes that ensue from guide dog mobility. The novel functional measurement methodology and VROOM/OMO template provide a model for development of further functional outcome measures, including a GD assessment/matching tool that includes human and GD factors.