Technical quality of online resources for mobility device training

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation science
• Assistive technology
• Digital health education

Background:

• Effective use of mobility aids requires adequate training.
• The internet presents a vast, yet variable, source of information for mobility aid users and caregivers.
• Identifying high-quality online educational resources for mobility device training is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a curated catalog of online educational resources for mobility device training.
• To identify and evaluate the quality of existing online resources for mobility aid instruction.
• To address the need for improved online training materials for individuals with physical disabilities and their caregivers.

Main Methods:

• A systematic Google search was conducted in 2016 and replicated in 2018.
• Resources were included if they were free, educational, in English or French, and targeted users/caregivers.
• A modified Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark assessed resource technical quality.

Main Results:

• 273 online resources were analyzed.
• The average technical quality score (JAMA benchmarks) was 3.6 out of 6.
• 58 high-quality resources were selected for the final catalog.

Conclusions:

• The technical quality of online mobility device training resources is generally low.
• There is a significant need for higher-quality online educational materials for mobility aid users and caregivers.
• A freely available Mobility Device Training Catalogue has been developed to guide users, caregivers, and clinicians to reliable resources.