ParaplegiaSKILLNCT06294834

Improving Clinician Capacity to Provide Interventions for Manual Wheelchair Users

A study testing Part 1 of intervention A - Wheelchair skills training modules, Part 2 of intervention A - Asynchronous feedback from a remote trainer and Intervention B: Education on wheelchair provision in people with Paraplegia and Paralysis, Legs, run by University of Pittsburgh at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record

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Trial summary

Who is it for?: Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for: Paraplegia, Paralysis, Legs
What is being tested?: Part 1 of intervention A - Wheelchair skills training modules, Part 2 of intervention A - Asynchronous feedback from a remote trainer and Intervention B: Education on wheelchair provision
Could I receive a placebo?: No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people: 235 participants
Where: 1 siteUnited States
Study dates: 22 Feb 2023to 16 Oct 2025
Phase: Interventional
Are there results?: None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

Ages 18 years and older
All sexes
No healthy volunteers
Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

Practicing rehabilitation professional whose client population includes wheelchair users.
Willing and able to attempt practicing wheelchair skills
Access to a spotter(s)
Access to an Internet-ready device with video capabilities.
Speaks English

Who cannot join

1) Confident in teaching (Self-Efficacy on Assessing, Training, and Spotting [SEATS] item score = 5) and able to complete (WST-Q capacity item score = 2) >50% of skills targeted by the training intervention.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site

University of Pittsburgh / Rehab Neural Engineering Labs
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15219

Other trials in United States

About this study

The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of remote manual wheelchair skills training program for clinicians. The study will use three-group approach: intervention with remote feedback (Group 1), control group (Group 2), and structured self-study (Group 3). This demonstrates how the intervention compares not only to a control, but also to the next "best alternative" - therapists sourcing web-based training materials and learning independently.

Read the detailed description

A randomized, single-blinded, two-period cross-over study design for Groups 1 and 2 will be used. Participants will complete baseline assessments and then be randomized to either Group 1 or Group 2. After enrollment for Groups 1 and 2 is completed, Group 3 participants will be enrolled.

Group 1 will receive the active intervention (intervention A) which will include a two-part training in wheelchair skills. For Part 1, they will review approximately 4 hours of educational videos on how to complete and teach wheelchair skills. For Part 2 they will complete a practice-feedback loop with a remote trainer providing asynchronous feedback. Group 3 will mirror Group 1 but complete only Part 1 of the training. Group 2 will receive the control intervention (intervention B) participants will review approximately 4 hours of educational videos. Participants will have 8 weeks to complete either training program. Both groups will then complete follow-up at 2 and 6 months. Following this, participants will cross over to receive the other intervention (Group 1 and 3 will receive intervention B, Group 2 will receive intervention A) and complete follow-up at 8 and 12 months.

Additionally, rehabilitation professionals who are not therapists will be able to access the training through a structured self-study (Group 4). This group will receive access to both trainings with follow-up at 2 and 6 months.

Conditions: Paraplegia, Paralysis, Legs
Being tested: Part 1 of intervention A - Wheelchair skills training modules, Part 2 of intervention A - Asynchronous feedback from a remote trainer, Intervention B: Education on wheelchair provision
Medical subject headings: Paraplegia

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Part 1 of intervention A - Wheelchair skills training modulesOther
Clinicians will review a suite of training videos in a prescribed order that discuss motor learning principles, safe spotting, and how to complete 15 intermediate and advanced skills:
1. Opening/closing doors
2. getting over a gap
3. getting over a threshold
4. ascending a low curb
5. descending a low curb
6. ascending a high curb
7. descending a high curb
8. performing a stationary wheelie
9. descending a high curb in a wheelie position
10. descending a steep incline in a wheelie position and stopping
11. ascending stairs
12. descending stairs
13. completing a floor-to-chair transfer
14. car transfers
15. folding and unfolding wheelchair
Part 2 of intervention A - Asynchronous feedback from a remote trainerOther
Participants will practice of wheelchair skills paired with remote feedback. Participants will be reminded to practice once per week. The participant will practice any number of the 15 skills for a self-selected duration. Following each practice session, the participant will upload video(s) of the skills practiced and a session log, indicating any difficulties they encountered. The remote trainer will then review the video-recordings and reply to the participant with feedback.
Intervention B: Education on wheelchair provisionOther
Participants will be provided with access to web-based wheelchair provision education modules. When the content is viewed will be self-selected by participants. Participants will be asked to complete a feedback survey at the end of the modules. Participants will receive weekly reminders to complete the intervention until a feedback survey completed.

Study groups in NCT06294834
Study group	Role	What they receive
Group 1: therapists	Other	Group 1 will receive the active intervention (intervention A) of remote wheelchair skills training. They will cross-over to receive the control intervention (intervention B) of education on wheelchair provision at 6 months. Receives: Other: Part 1 of intervention A - Wheelchair skills training modules; Other: Part 2 of intervention A - Asynchronous feedback from a remote trainer; Other: Intervention B: Education on wheelchair provision
Group 2	Other	Group 2 will complete the control intervention (intervention B) of education on wheelchair provision. They will cross-over to receive the active intervention (intervention A) of remote wheelchair skills training at 6 months. Receives: Other: Part 1 of intervention A - Wheelchair skills training modules; Other: Part 2 of intervention A - Asynchronous feedback from a remote trainer; Other: Intervention B: Education on wheelchair provision
Group 3	Other	Groups 3 will mirror Group 1 but for intervention A will only complete Part 1 of the training and then be cued weekly to practice. Receives: Other: Part 1 of intervention A - Wheelchair skills training modules; Other: Intervention B: Education on wheelchair provision
Group 4: rehab professionals, not therapists	Other	Group 4 will mirror Group 3 but receive access to both interventions at the same time. Receives: Other: Part 1 of intervention A - Wheelchair skills training modules; Other: Intervention B: Education on wheelchair provision

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

Change in Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q) score
Clinician capacity and confidence to complete wheelchair skills, as measured by wheelchair skills test questionnaire (WST-Q), will improve following training (Group 1,3) compared to the active control group (Group 2). The WST-Q includes values from 0-3 for each of Capacity, Confidence, and Performance. These three scores will be averaged. A higher value indicates a better outcome.
Measured: baseline vs. 2 months
Change in Self-Efficacy on Assessing, Training, and Spotting (SEATS) score
Clinician confidence to provide wheelchair skills training, as measured by the Self-Efficacy on Assessing, Training, and Spotting (SEATS), will improve following training (Group 1,3) compared to the active control group (Group 2). The SEATS evaluation rates Assessing, Training, and Spotting, on scales from 0-5 for each skill. The values will be combined and averaged to assess progress over time. A higher score indicates improvement.
Measured: baseline vs. 2 months
Change in number of wheelchair users trained
Clinician training of wheelchair users will increase in quantity (number of wheelchair users trained, duration of training) in the six months following training (Group 1,3) compared to the active control group (Group 2).
Measured: baseline vs. 6 months
Change in quality of wheelchair skills trained
Clinician training of wheelchair users will increase in quality (number of wheelchair skills trained, capacity of trainees) in the year following training (Group 1,3) compared to the active control group (Group 2).
Measured: baseline vs. 6 months

Secondary outcomes (4)

Change in rehab professional Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q) score
Rehabilitation professional capacity and confidence to complete wheelchair skills, as measured by wheelchair skills test questionnaire (WST-Q), will improve following training. The WST-Q includes values from 0-3 for each of Capacity, Confidence, and Performance. These three scores will be averaged. A higher value indicates a better outcome.
Measured: baseline vs. 2 months, 6 months, and 1 year (Group 1,3 only) following training
Change in rehab professional Self-Efficacy on Assessing, Training, and Spotting (SEATS) score
Rehabilitation professional confidence to provide wheelchair skills training, as measured by the Self-Efficacy on Assessing, Training, and Spotting (SEATS), will improve following training. The SEATS evaluation rates Assessing, Training, and Spotting, on scales from 0-5 for each skill. The values will be combined and averaged to assess progress over time. A higher score indicates improvement.
Measured: baseline vs. 2 months, 6 months, and 1 year (Group 1,3 only) following training
Change in rehab professional quantity of wheelchair users trained
Rehabilitation professional training of wheelchair users will increase in quantity (number of wheelchair users trained, duration of training) following training.
Measured: baseline vs. 6 months, and 1 year (Group 1,3 only) following training
Change in rehab professional quality of wheelchair training
Rehabilitation professional training of wheelchair users will increase in quality (number of wheelchair skills trained, capacity of trainees) in the year following training.
Measured: baseline vs. 6 months, and 1 year (Group 1,3 only) following training

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

22 Feb 202316 Oct 2025

First posted6 Mar 2024
Study start22 Feb 2023
Primary completion16 Oct 2025
Study completion16 Oct 2025

Resources

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
Other trials for ParaplegiaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
More trials run by University of PittsburghThe sponsor's other registered studies.
What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design

Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase N/A
Primary purpose: Other
Allocation: Randomised
Intervention model: Crossover
Model description: Randomized, single-blinded, two-period cross-over study design for Groups 1 and 2. Participants will complete baseline assessments and then be randomized to either Group 1 or Group 2. After enrollment for Groups 1 and 2 is complete, participants will be enrolled into Group 3.
Masking: Single blind
Who is masked: Participant
Enrolment: 235 participants (actual)

IDs, dates and publications

ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT06294834
Sponsor's protocol ID: STUDY22010071
Other IDs: 90SIMS0010
Acronym: SKILL
Status last verified: May 2026
First submitted: 27 Feb 2024
Last updated: 19 May 2026
Results posted: No
Data monitoring committee: No
FDA-regulated drug: No
FDA-regulated device: No

Want to know more?

The sponsor has not listed a contact. The official record may have more details.

Talk to your doctor first and take this page with you. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.

Questions to ask the study team

What is the study trying to find out?
What would I need to do, and how often would I visit?
Could I receive a placebo instead of the treatment?
What are the possible risks and benefits for me?
Will it cost me anything? Are travel or time paid for?
Can I keep seeing my own doctor during the study?
What happens when the study ends?

See locations

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Transcutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation in Acute Spinal Cord Injury
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Flexibility, Resistance, Aerobic, Movement Execution Training in Adults With Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia
Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia
Recruiting
Acute Genital Nerve Stimulation for Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction in Individuals Living With Spinal Cord Injury
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RecruitingPhase 2/3
Pilot Study of Galantamine to Treat Metabolic Syndrome in People With Chronic Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
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Spinal Cord Injury

All Paraplegia trials

Study at a glance

From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 19 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.

Official title: Improving Clinician Capacity to Provide Interventions for Manual Wheelchair Users
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT06294834
Acronym / sponsor ID: SKILL / STUDY22010071
Conditions: Paraplegia, Paralysis, Legs
Study type: Interventional
Recruitment status: Completed
Enrolment: 235 participants (actual)
Lead sponsor: University of PittsburghUniversity, hospital or other
Collaborators: Dalhousie University, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
Study start: 22 Feb 2023 (actual)
Primary completion: 16 Oct 2025 (actual)
Study completion: 16 Oct 2025 (actual)
First posted: 6 Mar 2024 (actual)
Results: Not posted in the source record

Clinical summary

The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.

Detailed description

Study design

Primary purpose: Other
Allocation: Randomised
Intervention model: Crossover
Masking: Single blind (participant)
Number of arms: 4
Model description: Randomized, single-blinded, two-period cross-over study design for Groups 1 and 2. Participants will complete baseline assessments and then be randomized to either Group 1 or Group 2. After enrollment for Groups 1 and 2 is complete, participants will be enrolled into Group 3.

Arm	Type	Receives
Group 1: therapists	Other	Other: Part 1 of intervention A - Wheelchair skills training modules, Other: Part 2 of intervention A - Asynchronous feedback from a remote trainer, Other: Intervention B: Education on wheelchair provisionGroup 1 will receive the active intervention (intervention A) of remote wheelchair skills training. They will cross-over to receive the control intervention (intervention B) of education on wheelchair provision at 6 months.
Group 2	Other	Other: Part 1 of intervention A - Wheelchair skills training modules, Other: Part 2 of intervention A - Asynchronous feedback from a remote trainer, Other: Intervention B: Education on wheelchair provisionGroup 2 will complete the control intervention (intervention B) of education on wheelchair provision. They will cross-over to receive the active intervention (intervention A) of remote wheelchair skills training at 6 months.
Group 3	Other	Other: Part 1 of intervention A - Wheelchair skills training modules, Other: Intervention B: Education on wheelchair provisionGroups 3 will mirror Group 1 but for intervention A will only complete Part 1 of the training and then be cued weekly to practice.
Group 4: rehab professionals, not therapists	Other	Other: Part 1 of intervention A - Wheelchair skills training modules, Other: Intervention B: Education on wheelchair provisionGroup 4 will mirror Group 3 but receive access to both interventions at the same time.

Who may qualify

Ages: 18 years and older
Sex: All
Healthy volunteers: Not accepted
Age groups: Adult, Older adult

Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)

Practicing rehabilitation professional whose client population includes wheelchair users.
Willing and able to attempt practicing wheelchair skills
Access to a spotter(s)
Access to an Internet-ready device with video capabilities.
Speaks English

Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)

1) Confident in teaching (Self-Efficacy on Assessing, Training, and Spotting [SEATS] item score = 5) and able to complete (WST-Q capacity item score = 2) >50% of skills targeted by the training intervention.

Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Interventions

Intervention	Type	Arms
Part 1 of intervention A - Wheelchair skills training modulesClinicians will review a suite of training videos in a prescribed order that discuss motor learning principles, safe spotting, and how to complete 15 intermediate and advanced skills: 1. Opening/closing doors 2. getting over a gap 3. getting over a threshold 4. ascending a low curb 5. descending a low curb 6. ascending a high curb 7. descending a high curb 8. performing a stationary wheelie 9. descending a high curb in a wheelie position 10. descending a steep incline in a wheelie position and stopping 11. ascending stairs 12. descending stairs 13. completing a floor-to-chair transfer 14. car transfers 15. folding and unfolding wheelchair	Other	Group 1: therapists, Group 2, Group 3, Group 4: rehab professionals, not therapists
Part 2 of intervention A - Asynchronous feedback from a remote trainerParticipants will practice of wheelchair skills paired with remote feedback. Participants will be reminded to practice once per week. The participant will practice any number of the 15 skills for a self-selected duration. Following each practice session, the participant will upload video(s) of the skills practiced and a session log, indicating any difficulties they encountered. The remote trainer will then review the video-recordings and reply to the participant with feedback.	Other	Group 1: therapists, Group 2
Intervention B: Education on wheelchair provisionParticipants will be provided with access to web-based wheelchair provision education modules. When the content is viewed will be self-selected by participants. Participants will be asked to complete a feedback survey at the end of the modules. Participants will receive weekly reminders to complete the intervention until a feedback survey completed.	Other	Group 1: therapists, Group 2, Group 3, Group 4: rehab professionals, not therapists

Primary outcome

Change in Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q) score
Time frame: baseline vs. 2 months
Clinician capacity and confidence to complete wheelchair skills, as measured by wheelchair skills test questionnaire (WST-Q), will improve following training (Group 1,3) compared to the active control group (Group 2). The WST-Q includes values from 0-3 for each of Capacity, Confidence, and Performance. These three scores will be averaged. A higher value indicates a better outcome.
Change in Self-Efficacy on Assessing, Training, and Spotting (SEATS) score
Time frame: baseline vs. 2 months
Clinician confidence to provide wheelchair skills training, as measured by the Self-Efficacy on Assessing, Training, and Spotting (SEATS), will improve following training (Group 1,3) compared to the active control group (Group 2). The SEATS evaluation rates Assessing, Training, and Spotting, on scales from 0-5 for each skill. The values will be combined and averaged to assess progress over time. A higher score indicates improvement.
Change in number of wheelchair users trained
Time frame: baseline vs. 6 months
Clinician training of wheelchair users will increase in quantity (number of wheelchair users trained, duration of training) in the six months following training (Group 1,3) compared to the active control group (Group 2).
Change in quality of wheelchair skills trained
Time frame: baseline vs. 6 months
Clinician training of wheelchair users will increase in quality (number of wheelchair skills trained, capacity of trainees) in the year following training (Group 1,3) compared to the active control group (Group 2).

4 secondary outcomes

Change in rehab professional Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q) score
Time frame: baseline vs. 2 months, 6 months, and 1 year (Group 1,3 only) following training
Change in rehab professional Self-Efficacy on Assessing, Training, and Spotting (SEATS) score
Time frame: baseline vs. 2 months, 6 months, and 1 year (Group 1,3 only) following training
Change in rehab professional quantity of wheelchair users trained
Time frame: baseline vs. 6 months, and 1 year (Group 1,3 only) following training
Change in rehab professional quality of wheelchair training
Time frame: baseline vs. 6 months, and 1 year (Group 1,3 only) following training

Results and safety

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

Research links

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 19 May 2026.

Related trials for Paraplegia

Recruiting
Transcutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation in Acute Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal Cord Injury, Acute
Active, not recruiting
Flexibility, Resistance, Aerobic, Movement Execution Training in Adults With Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia
Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia
Recruiting
Acute Genital Nerve Stimulation for Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction in Individuals Living With Spinal Cord Injury
Fecal Incontinence
RecruitingPhase 2/3
Pilot Study of Galantamine to Treat Metabolic Syndrome in People With Chronic Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
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Recruiting
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Referral and contact

AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.

Lynn Worobey, PhD/DPT principal investigator

University of Pittsburgh

1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 19 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q) score (time frame: baseline vs. 2 months). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06294834.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 19 May 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 6 Nov 2026.