Effectiveness of online wheelchair mobility and transfer training on the occupational performance in people with spinal cord injuries

Background: Online training for the rehabilitation of People with Spinal Cord injuries (PwSCI) is necessary. Various environmental barriers create challenges in transferring and transporting these individuals out of the home to participate in face-to-face interventions. Furthermore, these challenges were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic in the past. Study Design: A single-blind randomized controlled trial. Objectives: This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of online wheelchair mobility and transfer training, on the level of performance and satisfaction in PwSCI. Setting: SCI associations and hospitals and clinical centers. Methods: The PwSCI were randomly divided into an online training group (OTG) and a control group (CG). The OTG received online training during 5 group sessions for five weeks. The results were analyzed to compare changes in occupational performance level and satisfaction after the intervention, and one month later. Results: 37 (CG = 18 and OTG = 19) out of 49 participants completed the 5-week intervention and follow-up assessments. The average age of participants in the CG was 35.0 years, and the OTG was 33.7 years. We found a significant increase in performance (p < 0.001) and satisfaction (p < 0.001) within the OTG during the pre-post assessment. There were also significant differences in performance (p < 0.026) and satisfaction (p < 0.015) between groups. Conclusion: The results showed that online wheelchair mobility and transfer training can be a suitable method for telerehabilitation and training PwSCI.