Recruiting

Observational Study

Sponsor:

University of Pittsburgh

Code:

NCT06295146

Conditions

Wheelchair

Paraplegia

Spinal Cord Injury

Tetraplegia/Tetraparesis

Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI)

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Intervention A: 1-on-1 wheelchair skills training by a peer coach

Intervention B: Training via educational videos

Study Details

Brief summary:

The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of remote manual wheelchair skills training program. First, peer coaches will be enrolled and trained. Then, trainees will be enrolled into one of three interventions: intervention with remote feedback (Group 1), and a wait list control group (Group 2).

Conditions

Wheelchair

Paraplegia

Spinal Cord Injury

Tetraplegia/Tetraparesis

Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI)

Study ID

NCT06295146

Start date

Jun 25, 2024

Status verified date

Apr, 2026

Completion date

Dec 30, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec 30, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

Coaches:

  • At least 18 years old
  • Non-progressive SCI
  • Able to speak and read English
  • Reside in the community
  • Independently use a manual wheelchair for at least 50% of mobility

Coaches with paraplegia:

\- Able to complete all skills targeted by the intervention, except stair ascent, (WST-Q item scores 2) independently.

Coaches with tetraplegia:

\- Able to complete all skills targeted by the intervention with or without assistance

Trainees:

  • At least 18 years old
  • Non-progressive SCI
  • Able to speak and read English
  • Reside in the community
  • Independently use a manual wheelchair for 50% of mobility
  • Access to an Internet-ready device with video capabilities.
  • Access to a spotter for practicing wheelchair skills
  • Desire training for at least 5 of the 16 skills targeted by the training program

Exclusion Criteria:

  • none

Study Design

Enrollment

132 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Sequential

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Active intervention (intervention A)

Active intervention (intervention A) which will include training through peer coaching

active comparator: Waitlist control group

Waitlist control group that will receive the same intervention A but at 6 months

active comparator: Self-study intervention

Self-study intervention with review of educational materials

Interventions

Intervention A: 1-on-1 wheelchair skills training by a peer coach

Trainees will engage in 1:1 virtual zoom meetings facilitated by the study team scheduled weekly for 6 sessions with the opportunity for 2 makeup sessions. Sessions will last approximately 30 minutes and may include goal setting, review of progress, instruction, and "homework" of prescribed content for trainees to review. Participants may upload videos of themselves completing skills through Qualtrics to get feedback.

Intervention B: Training via educational videos

Intervention B will be a series of educational videos that participants review and then are encouraged to the practice the skills. Participants will have access to the materials for 8 weeks. Group 3 will have access to approximately 3 hours of wheelchair skills video training content. Actual viewing time will depend upon the individual's training goal. While they will receive a weekly reminder about practicing, there is no prescribed frequency for how often they should be practicing the skills in the videos.

Primary outcome measure

  • Capacity, confidence, and performance of wheelchair skills will improve following training [ Time Frame: 6 months ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Lee Tempest, BS

412-232-9326tempestml@upmc.edu

Debbie Harrington, BS

412-383-1355debbie.harrington@pitt.edu

Locations

University of Pittsburgh

Recruiting

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15219

Contacts

Lee Tempest, BS

412-232-9326tempestml@upmc.edu

Debbie Harrington, BS

4123370372debbie.harrington@pitt.edu

More Information

Sponsor

University of Pittsburgh

Last update posted

Apr 14, 2026

Last verified

Apr, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Pittsburgh on 2026-04-14.