Monitoring seat feature usage among wheelchair users

To help manage pressure ulcers and adjust posture, powered wheelchairs can be equipped with seat tilt and backrest recline features. Clinicians usually prescribe these features for wheelchair users who are vulnerable to pressure sores or have difficulty changing postures, but little data has been collected to determine whether or not, and what extent, these features are used. This study examined how wheelchair users use power wheelchair seat features such as seat tilt, backrest recline, and seat elevation, during typical daily activities. A Seat Feature Data Logger (SFDL) was attached to 11 subject's wheelchairs for 10-14 days to gather data regarding daily usage of these features. The results showed that while subjects did not always use large angles of tilt and recline as many clinicians recommend, these features were used frequently and their use resulted in lower peak pressures. The information collected by the SFDL allows for a novel and quantitative description of the effectiveness and use of power seat features, and can also be used as a clinical compliance tool.