Purpose
The WST is a comprehensive and generic instrument for the objective evaluation of manual wheelchair skills.
Link to Instrument
Cost
FreeDiagnosis/Conditions
- Brain Injury Recovery
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Stroke Recovery
The WST is a comprehensive and generic instrument for the objective evaluation of manual wheelchair skills.
32
30 minutes
Mean testing times were 34.5 ± 14.2 minutes and with repeat testing was 27.9 ± 8.5 minutes (p = 0.356).
Initially reviewed by Irene Ward, PT, DPT, NCS and the TBI EDGE task force and Phyllis Palma, PT, DPT, Rachel Tappan, PT, NCS, and the SCI EDGE task force of the Neurology Section of the APTA in 10/2012.
Recommendations for use of the instrument from the Neurology Section of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Multiple Sclerosis Taskforce (MSEDGE), Parkinson’s Taskforce (PD EDGE), Spinal Cord Injury Taskforce (PD EDGE), Stroke Taskforce (StrokEDGE), Traumatic Brain Injury Taskforce (TBI EDGE), and Vestibular Taskforce (Vestibular EDGE) are listed below. These recommendations were developed by a panel of research and clinical experts using a modified Delphi process.
For detailed information about how recommendations were made, please visit:
Abbreviations: |
|
HR |
Highly Recommend |
R |
Recommend |
LS / UR |
Reasonable to use, but limited study in target group / Unable to Recommend |
NR |
Not Recommended |
Recommendations for use based on acuity level of the patient:
|
Acute (CVA < 2 months post) (SCI < 1 month post) (Vestibular < 6 weeks post) |
Subacute (CVA 2 to 6 months) (SCI 3 to 6 months) |
Chronic (> 6 months) |
SCI EDGE |
LS |
LS |
R |
Recommendations based on level of care in which the assessment is taken:
|
Acute Care |
Inpatient Rehabilitation |
Skilled Nursing Facility |
Outpatient Rehabilitation |
Home Health |
TBI EDGE |
NR |
NR |
NR |
NR |
NR |
Recommendations based on SCI AIS Classification:
|
AIS A/B |
AIS C/D |
SCI EDGE |
LS |
LS |
Recommendations for use based on ambulatory status after brain injury:
|
Completely Independent |
Mildly dependant |
Moderately Dependant |
Severely Dependant |
TBI EDGE |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Recommendations for entry-level physical therapy education and use in research:
|
Students should learn to administer this tool? (Y/N) |
Students should be exposed to tool? (Y/N) |
Appropriate for use in intervention research studies? (Y/N) |
Is additional research warranted for this tool (Y/N) |
SCI EDGE |
No |
No |
Yes |
Not reported |
TBI EDGE |
No |
No |
No |
Not reported |
WST:
Manual Wheelchair Users, WST-Q version 2.4:
(Mountain 2004; n = 20; 7 with amputation, 4 with musculoskeletal disorder, 4 with spinal cord and peripheral neurologic disorders, 5 with stroke and acquired brain disorder; Mean age = 64.6 (13.6) years; mean experience using wheelchair = 93.9 (240.2) weeks)
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Chronic SCI, WST version 4.1:
(Lemay 2012; n = 54; mean age = 46.7 (12.8) years; time since initiating wheelchair use = 16.0 (11.2) years, range = 1-40 years; Level of injury: 25.9% C4-C8, 18.5% T1-6, 55.6% T7-L2; severity of injury: 50% complete SCI, 50% incomplete SCI)
Chronic SCI, WST version 4.1:
(Lemay 2012)
Predictive Validity
Chronic SCI:
(Hosseini 2012; n = 214; Mean age = 38.8 (12) years; Mean time since injury = 11.7 (11) years (range = 0.9-50 years); Level of injury = C3-L5, 72% with paraplegia, 28% with tetraplegia)
Chronic SCI, WST version 4.1:
(Lemay 2012)
SCI, WST version 3.2:
(Pradon 2012; n = 40; mean age = 36.9 (11.2) years; mean time of wheelchair use = 79.8 months (range 1-360); 18 with low paraplegia (T10-L3), 15 with high paraplegia (T1-9), 7 with tetraplegia (C6-7))
Chronic SCI:
(Lemay 2012)
Community manual wheelchair users:
(Lindquist et al, 2010, version 4.1, n = 11; Age (years): 42.16 ± 16.2; Sex (male/female) 9/2; 30 of the 32 items tested)
Community manual wheelchair users:
(Lindquist et al, 2010, version 4.1, n = 11)
Wheelchair Users and Non-Wheelchair Users, WST version 2.4:
(Kirby 2004; n = 298, 129 able-bodied, 62 with amputation, 20 with musculoskeletal disorders, 34 with SCI, 52 with CVA; mean age = 43.8 (22.5) years)
Community manual wheelchair users:
(Lindquist et al, 2010, version 4.1, n = 11)
Wheelchair Users and Non-Wheelchair Users, WST version 2.4:
(Kirby 2004)
Concurrent Validity
Manual Wheelchair Users, WST version 1.0:
(Kirby 2002; n = 24, 11 with amputation, 4 with stroke, 3 with musculoskeletal disorders, 3 with SCI, 3 with neuromuscular disorders); Mean age = 59 (19) years; mean time using any wheelchair = 51 (144) weeks)
Convergent Validity
Wheelchair Users and Non-Wheelchair Users, WST version 2.4:
(Kirby 2004)
Manual Wheelchair Users, WST version 4.1:
(Lindquist 2010)
Manual Wheelchair Users, WST version 3.1:
(Best 2005; mean age = 49 (16) years for experimental group, 48 (23) years for control group; Mean wheelchair experience = 11 (151) months for experimental group, 34 (66) months for control group)
Best, K. L., Kirby, R. L., et al. (2005). "Wheelchair skills training for community-based manual wheelchair users: a randomized controlled trial." Arch Phys Med Rehabil 86(12): 2316-2323.
Coolen, A. L., Kirby, R. L., et al. (2004). "Wheelchair skills training program for clinicians: a randomized controlled trial with occupational therapy students." Arch Phys Med Rehabil 85(7): 1160-1167.
Hosseini, S. M., Oyster, M. L., et al. (2012). "Manual wheelchair skills capacity predicts quality of life and community integration in persons with spinal cord injury." Arch Phys Med Rehabil 93(12): 2237-2243.
Kirby, R. L., Dupuis, D. J., et al. (2004). "The wheelchair skills test (version 2.4): measurement properties." Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 85(5): 794-804.
Kirby, R. L., Swuste, J., et al. (2002). "The Wheelchair Skills Test: a pilot study of a new outcome measure." Arch Phys Med Rehabil 83(1): 10-18.
Lemay, V., Routhier, F., et al. (2012). "Relationships between wheelchair skills, wheelchair mobility and level of injury in individuals with spinal cord injury." Spinal Cord 50(1): 37-41.
Lindquist, N. J., Loudon, P. E., et al. (2010). "Reliability of the performance and safety scores of the wheelchair skills test version 4.1 for manual wheelchair users." Arch Phys Med Rehabil 91(11): 1752-1757.
Mountain, A. D., Kirby, R. L., et al. (2004). "The wheelchair skills test, version 2.4: Validity of an algorithm-based questionnaire version." Arch Phys Med Rehabil 85(3): 416-423.
Phang, S. H., Martin Ginis, K. A., et al. (2012). "The role of self-efficacy in the wheelchair skills-physical activity relationship among manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury." Disabil Rehabil 34(8): 625-632.
We have reviewed more than 500 instruments for use with a number of diagnoses including stroke, spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury among several others.