Collaborative Power Mobility Innovative Learning OpporTunity (CoPILOT) - A Pilot Study of a New Training Approach (Phase 2)

Losing the ability to walk can lead to fewer opportunities to socialize with friends and family and participate in the community. When this happens, powered wheelchairs can provide access to homes and communities, contributing to health and well-being. Training by a qualified occupational therapist allows an individual to use a powered wheelchair safely and effectively. Learning to drive a powered wheelchair can be difficult, frustrating and time consuming for people with cognitive and physical challenges. In this study, the investigators will ask participants with cognitive impairments to complete training with an occupational therapist using either a shared control wheelchair or training methods according to the standard of care. The investigators believe shared control training, entitled Collaborative Powered mobility Innovative Learning OpporTunity (CoPILOT) will enhance driving skill while maximizing safety learning. CoPILOT has the potential to enable people to participate more in their day to day lives and regain mobility independence.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Mild Cognitive Impairment
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: CoPILOT

Detailed Description

Background: Powered wheelchairs can improve participation in daily life, increase quality of life, and add 'life to years' for individuals with SCI. Cognitive limitations, associated with advanced age at the time of a spinal cord injury or comorbid traumatic brain injury, impair learning and may prevent an individual from acquiring or maintaining skills necessary to drive a powered mobility device. Standard power wheelchair training, limited by time, equipment and budget constraints, may not meet the learning needs of individuals with cognitive impairment, preventing an individual from obtaining use of a powered wheelchair, impacting independence and quality of life. The total system cost of procuring a power wheelchair can range from $10,000 - $30,000; suboptimal use resulting from inadequate training is a poor use of resources and comes at a substantial social price. The Collaborative Power mobility Innovative Learning OpporTunity (CoPILOT) is a training approach utilizing shared control wheelchair technology and allows a therapist to provide an error-free learning experience for individuals in their own environments, while maintaining safety of the user and the individuals around them. Using shared control technology, the wheelchair user remains in control of the wheelchair while learning to drive, except in cases where the trainer overrides the control (using a remote controlled interface) to maintain safety and provide targeted learning opportunities.

Purpose and Objectives: The purpose of this study is to obtain pilot data for a larger randomized control trial of a shared control power wheelchair training program (CoPILOT) for improving power wheelchair mobility skills among novice power wheelchair users with comorbid cognitive impairment compared to standard of care. Collection of pilot data is necessary prior to moving forward with a larger randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Hypotheses: The investigators expect the intervention protocol will be feasible for a larger randomized control trial. Compared to the standard of care group, the investigators expect the CoPILOT group will experience significant improvement in power wheelchair skill capacity. The investigators also expect the CoPILOT group will experience improvements in wheelchair skill safety, confidence, capacity for divided attention tasks, and health related quality of life, compared to the standard of care participants.

Methods: This feasibility study will use an evaluator blind parallel RCT. New power wheelchair users with mild to moderate cognitive impairment will be recruited from the GF Strong or Vancouver General Hospital Spinal Cord Injury patient population. Participants will be randomly assigned to a CoPILOT (shared control training) group or standard of care group. All training will be completed by qualified occupational therapist trainers. Participants in both groups will receive either 6 or 12 hours of training in a standard powered wheelchair; however, the CoPILOT groups will use remote control technology the investigators have developed. Post-Treatment Qualitative Interviews will be conducted. Questions will be related to protocol administration and use of the CoPILOT approach and shared control technology, including necessary modifications.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 25
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • British Columbia
    • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V5Z 2G9
      • GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 60 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Live in a residential facility
2. Have mild to moderate cognitive impairment (MMSE 18-26)
3. Be new to powered wheelchairs (no full time driving experience for 3 weeks or more within the past five years) or previously denied a powered wheelchair (due to cognitive impairments impacting ability to learn or inability to learn the required skills); and
4. Be physically able to operate a powered wheelchair joystick.

Exclusion Critera:

1. Have a visual or hearing impairment which may compromise training safety
2. Do not understand English well enough to complete assessments and/or training.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: CoPILOT (6 weeks); Experimental group participants will receive structured training in a standard powered wheelchair using the CoPILOT shared control wheelchair technology consisting of 6 hours total training time (1 hour training sessions, 3 days per week for 2 weeks).	Behavioral: CoPILOT; Participants in all groups will receive either six or twelve hours of training in a standard powered wheelchair; however, the CoPILOT groups will use remote control technology we have developed. The technology provides the trainer with remote control of wheelchair speed and direction allowing the trainer to override the participant's actions as needed to ensure safe error-free shared controlled wheelchair training. The CoPILOT approach will accommodate varied learning needs, as per adult learning principles, while decreasing trainer input until the participant can complete tasks independently.
No Intervention: Standard of Care (6 weeks); Standard of care participants will receive training according to the standard of care in rehabilitation facilities in the Vancouver area in a standard powered wheelchair consisting of 6 hours total training time (1 hour training sessions, 3 days per week for 2 weeks).
Experimental: CoPILOT (12 weeks); Experimental group participants will receive structured training in a standard powered wheelchair using the CoPILOT shared control wheelchair technology consisting of 12 hours total training time (1 hour training sessions, 4 days per week for 3 weeks).	Behavioral: CoPILOT; Participants in all groups will receive either six or twelve hours of training in a standard powered wheelchair; however, the CoPILOT groups will use remote control technology we have developed. The technology provides the trainer with remote control of wheelchair speed and direction allowing the trainer to override the participant's actions as needed to ensure safe error-free shared controlled wheelchair training. The CoPILOT approach will accommodate varied learning needs, as per adult learning principles, while decreasing trainer input until the participant can complete tasks independently.
No Intervention: Standard of Care (12 weeks); Standard of care participants will receive training according to the standard of care in rehabilitation facilities in the Vancouver area in a standard powered wheelchair consisting of 12 hours total training time (1 hour training sessions, 4 days per week for 3 weeks).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Power-mobility Indoor Driving Assessment (PIDA)	The PIDA covers specific tasks required for functional indoor driving, which are specific to the environment (i.e. accessing the bed from the right and left, and approaching the closet and dresser in the bedroom). The PIDA has been evaluated for content and face validity, has good inter-rater (ICC 0.87) and fair intra-rater (ICC 0.67) reliability.55. We aim to explore the potential usefulness of this outcome measure for this population, in this environment, for inclusion in future clinical trials.	Baseline (pre-randomization), Up to 5 Weeks (immediate post-intervention)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-P-Q)	The WST-P-Q is a standardized subjective evaluation of the capacity, performance, and confidence for 30 powered wheelchair skills. Total percent scores (0-100%) are calculated for both capacity, performance, and confidence. The WST was selected as a secondary measure because it is a standardized tool for evaluating wheelchair capacity, the primary construct of interest.	Baseline (pre-randomization), Up to 5 weeks (immediate post-intervention)
Change in Wheelchair-use Confidence Scale (WheelCon-P )	This measurement for power wheelchair users is a 59-item self-report scale (0-100) with documented reliability and validity. Responses indicate current level of perceived confidence (%) to navigate the physical environment in a wheelchair, perform activities in a wheelchair, problem solve, advocate for specific needs, and manage social situations and emotions. The WheelCon was selected as a secondary outcome measure because confidence for using a wheelchair has been shown to influence wheelchair skills capacity.	Baseline (pre-randomization), Up to 5 Weeks (immediate post-intervention)
Change in Health Utility Index Mark 3 (HUI3)	Health utility measurement is useful in performing cost-utility and cost-effectiveness analyses of new rehabilitation interventions. The HUI3 is a brief questionnaire that asks subjects about their health status, reflected in a single-score measure of health-related quality of life (HRQOL).	Baseline (pre-randomization), Up to 5 Weeks (immediate post-intervention)
Change in The Wheelchair Outcome Measure (WhOM)	The WhOM assess the individual's wheelchair related goals, the importance of those goals, and the satisfaction in their ability to complete those tasks. This will be used to assess goal attainment (performance and satisfaction) following training.	Baseline (pre-randomization), Up to 5 Weeks (immediate post-intervention)
The Wheeling While Talking Test	The Wheeling While Talking Test assesses the individual's ability to complete wheeling tasks under divided attention conditions. This test is being evaluated for use in powered wheelchair studies.	Baseline (pre-randomization), Up to 5 Weeks (immediate post-intervention)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of British Columbia
• Collaborators: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); Rick Hansen Foundation; Networks of Centres of Excellence of Canada; Alzheimer Society of Canada; Promobilia Foundation

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 1, 2016
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 1, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): October 1, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 1, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 30, 2016
• First Posted (Estimate): December 5, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 9, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 7, 2019
• Last Verified: October 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Older adults; Power mobility; Wheelchair skills training
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Cognition Disorders; Cognitive Dysfunction
• Other Study ID Numbers: H14-01702 (Phase 2)