A Personalized Wheelchair Fitting System to Improve Function and Quality of Life

The goal of this project is to confirm that informatics generated using the commercial version of the System for Personalizing and Evaluating the Fit of Assistive Devices in a Clinical Setting (SPEC) system, designed for clinicians by clinicians, can seamlessly integrate data into an Integrated Informatics System (IIS) database module for wheelchair fitting. The objectives are to: (1) verify that readily available quantitative information generated using a personalized model simulation tool can be used to monitor known factors that affect wheelchair fitting processes by using an ISS prototype, and (2) verify information gathered using questionnaires can be effectively integrated into IIS to visualize how modifications in wheelchair fitting affects function and quality of life. Outcomes include: (1) increased wheelchair fitting and prescription personalization accuracy from clinicians of all experience levels, (2) decrease in the number and length of wheelchair fitting sessions, (3) decrease in the number of prescription errors, and (4) development of an extensive IIS to support clinical decisions and improve clinical standards.