Evaluation of the PPAL

March 2, 2026 updated by: Alicia Koontz

Development and Evaluation of PPAL Bedside Commode for Safe Independent Toileting Transfers

This research study is being conducted to better understand the impact of the PPAL assisted toileting device. The PPAL consists of a powered, height-adjustable commode chair with integrated transfer boards. The system is designed to allow users to assist with their own transfers to and from the bed or chair to the PPAL for toileting, with minimal manual assistance from caregivers. Users who require assistance with transfers, and their caregivers, have a high likelihood of experiencing injury during transfers.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the PPAL bedside commode in a home setting to better understand the impact of the device during a six-week at-home trial. Participants will be asked to schedule a home visit with the research team to screen their home, answer questions, and observe the participant's current transfer methods to their toilet or commode to ensure that both the participant and caregiver are appropriate candidates for the device. Once approved, a delivery date will be arranged to deliver the PPAL to the participant's home. At the end of the six-week trial, the study team will arrange a final visit to retrieve the PPAL and again ask questions and observe a toilet transfer using both the PPAL and the customary commode. Finally, the investigators will interview the participant and caregiver to assess their satisfaction with the device. This interview will be audio recorded.

This study involves minimal risks, which are expected to occur infrequently. There is a possibility that the participant could experience a scrape, bruise, cut, or pinch injury while using a device with which they are not familiar. There is also the possibility that the participant could fall when attempting to transfer to or from the device; however, the investigators will thoroughly demonstrate the device and monitor its use to minimize this risk. There is also a risk of breach of confidentiality, as text messages and emails may not be encrypted or secure during transmission or storage, and it is possible they could be intercepted or accessed by individuals not associated with this study.

There will be no direct benefit to the participant from participating in the study, but participation will help developers of the PPAL better understand the opinions, needs, and abilities of caregivers and patients who may use the device.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

16

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

  • Name: Nikitha Deepak, MS
  • Phone Number: 412-822-3669
  • Email: NID51@pitt.edu

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Pennsylvania
      • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15206
        • Recruiting
        • University of Pittsburgh: Human Engineering Research Laboratories
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Alicia Koontz, PhD
        • Contact:
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Toileter Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18 years or above
  • Weighs 300 pounds or less and is able to fit within the dimensions of the PPAL - Has difficulty with getting on or off a toilet or commode at any point in a typical 24-hour period
  • Resides in either a home, independent living residence, assisted living or extended care residence
  • Able to maintain sitting balance independently (without human assistance) for at least 2 minutes
  • If sitting for longer than 2 minutes (with or without assistance), does not get dizzy or lightheaded
  • Residence is able to accommodate the PPAL in the Bedroom or designated space.

Toileter Exclusion Criteria:

  • Ventilator users
  • Free of acute medical events within the last 3 months
  • Had Stage 2 or greater pressure ulcer within the last 3 months
  • Upcoming planned medical procedures or surgeries in the next 3 months.

Caregiver Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18 years or above
  • Formal/paid or informal/unpaid caregiver for the patient participant (toileter) who provides toileting assistance at least 3 days per week

Caregiver Exclusion Criteria:

-Physical limitations that prevent caregiver from manually assisting with PPAL transfer or from maneuvering the PPAL around the end-user's residence

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: PPAL User
Device: PPAL
PPAL is a patented, motorized, height adjustable bedside commode with integrated transfer boards. PPAL incorporates a transfer board that moves up and down as the chair seat is raised or lowered so that the user can always perform a downhill transfer. This innovation will allow individuals with limited mobility who currently rely on caregiver assistance to transfer more independently.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in fall efficacy with connection to toileting
Time Frame: Change from pre to post 6 week trial
We aim to determine whether the use of PPAL reduces fear of falling during toileting activities. To assess this, we will utilize the Fall Concerns Scale for individuals who use Wheelchairs and Scooters (FCS-WC/S). Items are scored on a scale of concern, with 1 being "Not at all concerned" and 4 being "Very Concerned". Scores can be analyzed from specific questions, or the questionnaire as a whole. For this result we will focus on the item specifically associated with getting on/off of a toilet or commode at home. A decrease in FCS-WC/S scores at the end of the study would indicate a reduction in fear of falling.
Change from pre to post 6 week trial

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in GG Self-Care score for Toilet Transfer
Time Frame: Change from pre to post 6 week trial
We aim to observe a change in the GG Self-Care score for toilet transfers, specifically an improvement in the individual's ability to safely get on and off a toilet or commode. This item is scored on a scale from 1 (Dependent: completely reliant on a caregiver) to 6 (Independent: no assistance required). An increase in this score would indicate improved functional independence.
Change from pre to post 6 week trial
System Usability Scale (SUS)
Time Frame: At the end of the 6 week trial
We aim to find that PPAL will have at minimum an acceptable level of usability at the end of the trial. The SUS consists of items rated on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), assessing the participants perceived usability of the system in several domain areas. A total score is computed and a score of 68 or higher would be indicative of acceptable usability (scores ranging from 0 to 100 with higher scores indicating better usability).
At the end of the 6 week trial

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Alicia Koontz

Collaborators

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
QUA Inc.

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Alicia M Koontz, PhD, University of Pittsburgh

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 20, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

July 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

August 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 24, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 24, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

October 28, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 4, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 2, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • STUDY25100178
  • 5R44NR019516-03 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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