OBJECTIVE: To evaluate changes in activity of daily living before and after provision of electric-powered indoor/outdoor chair (EPIOC), discuss problems of current activities of daily living (ADL) evaluating tools for EPIOC users, and provide preliminary data to develop ADL evaluation tool for EPIOC user. METHODS: A total of 70 users who were prescribed EPIOC and had been using for more than 1 year were recruited in this study. Before and after provision of EPIOC, MBI and FIM scores were measured and a questionnaire consisting of six categories (general socioeconomic states, currently using state, whether EPIOC was helpful for social participation and occupational chances, psychiatric influences, self-reported degrees of independency, and barriers of using EPIOC) was used. RESULTS: No difference in MBI scores before and after provision of EPIOC was observed. However, the wheelchair ambulation category showed a significant difference. While motor FIM was not significantly different from MBI, FIM score were significantly (p<0.05) higher than MBI. For questions regarding social participation frequency, helpfulness of EPIOC on confidence, refreshing patients' emotions and self-reported degrees of independence, all of them showed positive responses. Especially, EPIOC users' self-reported degree of independency showed favorable results. There was discrepancy in MBI or FIM measured by physicians. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that there was a gap between the existing ADL evaluation tool and the ADL level that EPIOC users were actually feeling. Thus, it is necessary to develop an evaluation tool specifically for EPIOC.
Activities of Daily Living ; Disability Evaluation ; Self-Help Devices ; Social Participation ; Walking ; Wheelchairs ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficiency of powered wheelchair and scooter and to investigate the factors affecting the accidents and injuries. METHOD: We investigated 90 subjects with mobility disability who had used powered wheelchair or scooter more than a year. The subjects responded to a questionnaire of the 34 items. RESULTS: Seventy (77.7%) of respondents used powered wheelchair or scooter more than 3 days a week. More than 50% of them regarded the obstacles such as curbs or thresholds as the most common hindering factor to outside mobility. The causes of breakdown were due to battery, wheel, gear box and motor. About a third of 58 respondents were dissatisfied with the result of repair. The high cost of the repair was regarded as the leading cause of dissatisfaction. Contusions were the most common, with abrasion and sprain accounting for most of the remainder. Of the 18 users who were affected by injuries, only 11.1% wore a safety seatbelt. Only 25 of 89 respondents had a safety education. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the efficiency of power wheelchair and scooter was relatively high. But the obstacles such as curbs, recurrent breakdown, and concerns about the accident were regarded as the hindering factors to the outside mobility. The degree of satisfaction to the safety education is relatively low, so more systemic and practical programs need to be devised.
Accounting ; Contusions ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Questionnaires ; Self-Help Devices ; Sprains and Strains ; Wheelchairs

In Republic of Korea, there are many Quality Assurance protocol for general radiation treatment machine such as linac. However, Quality Assurance protocol for radiosurgery treatment system is not ready perfectly. One of the radiation treatment machine for radiosurgery, novalis system needs to suitable Quality Assurance protocol for using it right way during radiation treatment and maintaining suitable accuracy for daily, weekly, monthly and annually periods. Therefore, in this article, we develop Quality Assurance protocol for novalis system. We collected and analysed domestic and foreign novalis Quality Assurance protocol. After that, we selected essential QA items and each tolerance range for developing proper QA protocol, and we made anatomical phantom for execution of selected QA items and evaluation of overall state of QA, and then, we use this measured value as a reference. Quality Assurance items are consisted of Mechanical accuracy QA part and Radiation delivery QA part. Mechanical accuracy QA part is comprised of radiation generation machine part, assistive devices part and multi-leaf collimator part. Radiation delivery QA part is divided into radiation isocenter accuracy and dosimetric evaluation. After that, developed novalis QA tables are made by using these QA items. These novalis QA tables would be used to good standard in order to maintain apt accuracy for radiosurgery in daily, weekly, monthly and annually periods.
Dimaprit ; Radiosurgery ; Republic of Korea ; Self-Help Devices

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the current state of the assistive devices and appliances provision system for cerebral palsy patients registered with brain disability. METHODS: From 2003 to 2013, we analyzed the records of cerebral palsy patients who had assistive devices and appliances provisioned at least once in their lives based on National Health Information Database. Patients with cerebral palsy were divided into three groups: infants and toddlers, school age and adolescence, and adults. RESULTS: Data on short leg plastic orthoses, ankle joint orthoses, and wheelchair were mainly analyzed. The types of ankle joint orthoses divided into three categories: limited, 90° limited, and Klenzac. Limited ankle joint orthoses was most frequently supported of the three in all age groups. Powered wheelchair and scooter were most supported to adult patients. When the re-supply duration was evaluated, the duration was suitable to the duration on guideline of regulation of re-supplement according to the related laws in adult patients but not in infants/toddlers and school age/adolescence as the actual re-supplement duration was much shorter than the reference value. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the pattern of assistive devices and appliances supply differed depending on the age of cerebral palsy patients.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Ankle Joint ; Brain ; Cerebral Palsy ; Foot Orthoses ; Humans ; Infant ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Leg ; Orthotic Devices ; Plastics ; Reference Values ; Self-Help Devices ; Wheelchairs

The manual handling of people (MHP) is known to be associated with high incidence of musculoskeletal disorders for aged care staff. Environment-related MHP interventions, such as appropriate seated heights to aid sit-to-stand transfers, can reduce staff injury while improving the patient's mobility. Promoting patient mobility within the manual handling interaction is an endorsed MHP risk control intervention strategy. This article provides a narrative review of the types of MHP environmental controls that can improve mobility, as well as the extent to which these environmental controls are considered in MHP risk management and assessment tools. Although a range of possible environmental interventions exist, current tools only consider these in a limited manner. Development of an assessment tool that more comprehensively covers environmental strategies in MHP risk management could help reduce staff injury and improve resident mobility through auditing existing practices and guiding the design of new and refurbished aged care facilities.
Activities of Daily Living ; Humans ; Incidence ; Risk Management ; Self-Help Devices

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare and analyze the difference of weight bearing between affected and intact feet during straight or circular walking in hemiplegic patients. METHOD: 16 hemiplegic patients who could walk without assistive devices were included in this study. We used insole foot-pressure system to measure weight bearing ratio of both feet during walking. We assessed walking speed and pressure ratio during straight or circular walking at their comfortable gait speed. RESULT: Pressure ratio of affected foot showed negative correlation with walking time irrespective of walking direction. Pressure ratio of affected foot and walking time during circular walking to the affected side was significantly higher and slower respectively than that to the intact side. CONCLUSION: Asymmetrical weight bearing of both feet during walking is highly correlated with walking ability in hemiplegic patients and pressure ratio of affected foot may be simple and useful determinant of walking ability.
Foot ; Gait ; Hemiplegia ; Humans ; Self-Help Devices ; Walking* ; Weight-Bearing*

Indoor transfer lift is a useful technical assistant to assist the nursing of mobility impaired person, and the high-end product even make it possible that the disabled to live an independent living. The features of market available transfer lifts are discussed and the standard ISO 10535 (Hoists for the transfer of disabled persons--Requirements and test methods) is briefly introduced. The component parts and their function of rail lift are introduced in detail.
Disabled Persons ; rehabilitation ; Humans ; Moving and Lifting Patients ; instrumentation ; Self Care ; instrumentation ; Self-Help Devices

PURPOSE: The study offers the recommended guidelines for EMTs to improve their CPR techniques in an ambulance by analyzing external factors to perform more effective and accurate chest compression in a moving ambulance while patients are being transported to hospital. METHODS: Seventeen of the first class EMTs at GyeongGi- Do agreed to participate in the research. In order to analyze the factors that have influenced the accuracy of chest compression, the type of ambulance (Van-type, Truck-type), velocity of a moving ambulance (60, 70, 80 km/hr), chest compression posture (standing, knee supported) and assistive devices (Main stretcher car, CPR board, Long Spine board) for chest compression were compared to each other. The research was conducted according to the phased procedure in an attempt to evaluate the difference between the chest compression posture and the assistive devices in appropriateness of chest compression. RESULTS: The findings of this study included that chest compression posture and the use of assistive devices influenced the effectiveness of chest compression. With regard to compression depth, the chest compression that occurred on the main stretcher in ambulances while in the standing position, were the least effective. Chest compression that occurred on a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation board (CPR board) was the most effective in the supported posture. In addition, the accuracy of chest compression was higher in a supported posture than in a standing posture. In both postures, the accuracy of chest compression was higher when a CPR board or a Long spine board (LSB) were used, than when a main stretcher was used. CONCLUSION: The study showed that the chest compression posture and the use of assistive devices had an effect on appropriateness of chest compression. As for posture during chest compression, the accuracy of chest compression increased when knees were supported. Also, the study suggested that the use of CPR board among other assistive devices for chest compression was the factor contributing to an increase in the effectiveness of chest compression depth.
Ambulances ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Humans ; Knee ; Posture ; Self-Help Devices ; Spine ; Thorax

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical results of bipolar hemiarthroplasty in elderly patients more than 65 years of age with a femoral neck fracture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-six bipolar hemiarthroplasties in 43 patients more than 65 years of age which could be followed more than 3 years were included in this study. The clinical outcomes were evaluated using Harris hip score, pain score and support score. The radiological results were analyzed by femoral stem loosening and bipolar cup migration. RESULTS: The average Harris hip score was 88.7 (62~96) points. An excellent score was recorded in 34 cases, good in 7 cases, fair in 3 cases and poor in 2 cases. The average pain score was 39.3 points and there were no pain in 20 cases, slight pain in 17 cases, mild pain in 6 cases and moderate pain in 2 cases. The average support score was 9.6 points and 32 patients could walk without the use of any assistive devices. Two cases were converted to total hip arthroplasty due to femoral stem loosening with or without bipolar cup migration. CONCLUSION: For the early ambulation and functional recovery of elderly patients with femoral neck fracture, bipolar hemiarthroplasty was considered as one of recommendable methods.
Aged ; Arthroplasty ; Early Ambulation ; Femoral Neck Fractures ; Femur Neck ; Hemiarthroplasty ; Hip ; Humans ; Self-Help Devices

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the ability of spinal cord injury (SCI) patients in the use mobile cellular devices, especially the smartphone. METHODS: Seventeen people with motor complete cervical SCI participated in the study. The assist-devices deemed most fitting were introduced to the patients: a mouth stick, multifunctional splint, activities of daily living (ADL) splint, universal cuff or none of the above. To determine the effective devices, a Multi-Directional Click Test (MDCT), Phone Number Test (PNT), and individual satisfaction inquiry were used. The most appropriate assist device was selected by MDCT. Subsequently PNT and individual satisfaction inquiry were performed with the conventional model and compared. RESULTS: Those with C4 cord injury chose mouth stick. Those with C5 cord injury chose multifunctional splint (3 people) and ADL splint (2 people). Those with C6 cord injury chose universal cuff (3 people) or bare hands only. Those with C7 cord injury chose universal cuff (3 people). With a smartphone, all participants were able to complete the PNT. With a conventional model, only twelve participants (71%) were able to complete the same test. While it took 26.8+/-6.8 seconds with a conventional model to complete PNT, the same test took 18.8+/-10.9 seconds to complete with a smartphone (p<0.05). Overall, participants expressed higher satisfaction when using a smartphone. CONCLUSION: The results offer a practical insight into the appropriate assist devices for SCI patients who wish to use mobile cellular devices, particularly smartphones. When the SCI patients are given the use of a smartphone with the appropriate assist devices, the SCI patients are expected to access mobile cellular device faster and with more satisfaction.
Activities of Daily Living ; Smartphone* ; Hand ; Humans ; Mouth ; Self-Help Devices ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Splints