The power mobility clinical life cycle: pediatric therapists’ views, behaviors, confidence levels, and training hours

PURPOSE: Examine paediatric physical and occupational therapists' views, behaviours, confidence levels, and training hours received based on roles identified in the Power Mobility Clinical Life Cycle. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a descriptive, cross sectional, and non-experimental design. 219 participants completed a survey that asked demographic questions, views towards power mobility, and frequency of behaviours, confidence level, and training hours received across six roles: talking to families about power mobility, referring for mobility assessment or to power mobility specialists, writing letters of medical necessity and working with insurance and equipment vendors, monitoring power mobility fit and function, providing power mobility experiences, and creating and monitoring power mobility training programs. RESULTS: Participants considered power mobility for children with mobility delays at a mean age of 19 months. Child safety was the most important child-related factor to consider. A family's ability to provide the child with regular opportunities to practice power mobility (88%) and their openness to power mobility (86%) were the most important family-related factors. Participants reported infrequent behaviours, limited confidence, and a lack of training hours received across power mobility roles. Sixteen possible respondent profiles were created based on low and high categorizations of views, behaviours, confidence levels, and training hours received. Most participants (79%) fell into a profile characterised by high views but low behaviours. CONCLUSION: Despite reporting highly favourable views about power mobility for young children with mobility delays, therapists report limited behaviours, confidence levels, and training hours received across power mobility roles.