The value of an outdoor powered wheelchair with regard to the quality of life of persons with stroke: a follow-up study.

Evaluating the use of a powered wheelchair is of importance because of the increasing number of people with disabilities who are provided with one. The aim of this study is to describe characteristics of persons with stroke using an outdoor powered wheelchair and to evaluate the impact of the wheelchair on quality of life. A further aim is to compare the impact on quality of life in respect to age, gender, different disability characteristics, and living conditions. The 32 participants with stroke were recruited consecutively from three county council areas in Sweden. A follow-up design was applied including the EuroQol-5D questionnaires at baseline before the persons were prescribed an outdoor powered wheelchair, and after the participants had used the wheelchair for 3 to 5 months, data were collected by means of the EuroQol-5D and the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (PIADS). The results indicated an improved quality of life with respect to the items competence, independence, capability, quality of life, well-being, happiness, and self-esteem on the PIADS. The usual activity dimension on the EuroQol-5D showed a significant improvement after wheelchair use. The group who drove the powered wheelchair at least once a day in the summer showed a more positive score on the total PIADS and its Competence subscale than persons who drove less. Furthermore, the group with higher rankings of the importance of the powered wheelchair scored higher on psychosocial impact than did the group with lower rankings. The conclusion is that the powered wheelchair mostly has a positive impact on the quality of life of users with stroke. Service providers should be alert, however, to the possible negative impact of a powered wheelchair on quality of life and support the user.