Yang, Anthony
(2019)
Impact of the Assistive Technology Professional Involvement in the Provision of Mobility Assistive Equipment.
Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
People with disabilities who have functional mobility limitations often rely on mobility assistive equipment (MAE) to perform Mobility Related Activities of Daily Living (MRADLs). If an individual is not appropriately evaluated for Mobility Assistive Equipment to address current and prepare for future needs, negative outcomes are to be expected. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences between if an Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) was involved in the provision of MAE or if there was no ATP. The variables compared were based on demographics, current primary MAE, and baseline FMA scores. The data being analyzed was received through a pre-existing registry, with a population size of 2085 whereby 1123 met the inclusion criteria. If an ATP was involved, the individual using the MAE was more likely to have lived with their medical condition longer and use the MAE longer. The data shows that elderly females were more likely to not have an ATP, however a post hoc analysis determined that this result was more related to diagnosis than ATP involvement. Individuals who had an ATP were being provided with better quality MAE, being Group 3 power wheelchairs and ultra-lightweight manual wheelchairs compared to other wheelchairs, cane, crutches, or walkers if there was not an ATP involved. Baseline FMA scores suggest that having an ATP involved in the provision of MAE results in higher satisfaction scores than not having an ATP. Overall, this study provides evidence that an ATP has a positive impact on MAE provision by providing better quality MAE that is more durable and leads to higher self-reported satisfaction ratings.
Share
| Citation/Export: |
|
| Social Networking: |
|
Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
|
| Date: |
4 June 2019 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
27 March 2019 |
| Approval Date: |
4 June 2019 |
| Submission Date: |
24 April 2019 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
41 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences > Rehabilitation Science and Technology |
| Degree: |
MS - Master of Science |
| Thesis Type: |
Master's Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Assistive Technology Professional, ATP |
| Date Deposited: |
04 Jun 2019 19:23 |
| Last Modified: |
04 Jun 2019 19:23 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/36605 |
Metrics
Monthly Views for the past 3 years
Plum Analytics
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
![[feed]](/images/feed-icon-32x32.png){kind=icon}