Madisyn Adelman, “Comprehensive Assessment of Community Mobility and Participation of Wheelchair Users Using Wearables”
Mentor: Jacob Rammer, Biomedical Engineering
Poster #19

Approximately 65 million people worldwide require a wheelchair for their daily mobility. Wheelchair use can negatively impact community mobility (the ability to move independently) and participation (interaction with peers outside the home). An individual’s community mobility and participation has demonstrated a direct relationship to well-being, overall health, and quality of life. A person’s community mobility and participation are often measured in-clinic providing accurate data but inadequately represents daily mobility. Moreover, remote evaluations like questionnaires and activity journals fall short as the data collected can be inaccurate and subjective. This study demonstrates an innovative approach to remote assessment of community mobility and participation employing daily activity journals, GPS data, and questionnaires. Over six months, the Advanced Mobility Biomechanics Laboratory (AMBL) met with 10 data collection subjects. Each subject signed an informed consent form before being equipped with a commercially available Garmin Forerunner 753XT GPS wristwatch and paper-based activity journal. The subject was instructed to record all daily activities outside of their home for one week before returning the activity journal and wristwatch. When returned to the lab, the subject filled out two questionnaires which provide further insight into their overall confidence and activity level. The results from the participants activity journal and GPS data (processed using MATLAB 2022b software) validate if the participant maintained frequent community engagement throughout the week. The combined technique results in more information for rehabilitation specialists than activity journals, GPS data, or questionnaires alone. This approach provides both qualitative and quantitative data about the participants’ activities and confidence within their community. Overall, the combination of these three methods provides rehabilitation specialists with a comprehensive understanding of their patients’ community mobility and participation, allowing for greater patient specific care.