The Impact of Transfer Setup on the Performance of Independent Transfers: Phase I Final Report

Adjustable gap protocol

One hundred and fourteen (114) subjects were tested under this protocol and six could not transfer with a gap of any size added between their WMD and the platform in the configuration shown in (Figure 4). 95% (108/114) of the sample were able to safely attain a level transfer with a gap of 3.5” (8.9 cm). Around 81% (92/114), CI[72%,87%] of the sample were able to transfer with a gap of 7” (17.8 cm) or less (Figure 10 and Table 6).

Figure 10 . Number of subjects (y-axis) able to transfer with a certain gap (x-axis).

Table 6 . Percentage of subjects that a transfer under adjustable gap protocol

Table 6 Alternative Text Description: This table gives the percentages of subjects that attained a transfer under the adjustable gap protocol for different gap distances.  There are two columns; the left one gives the gap distance range, the right one gives the percentage of subjects that were able attain that gap distance. 

Subjects that could not attain the protocol
In addition to the 4 subjects that could not attain any of the protocols, two additional men could not attain the adjustable gap protocol. One was a 41 year old men that had a traumatic brain injury and double lower knee amputation, weighted 192 lbs, did not report his height, and had been using a manual wheelchair for twenty years. The second subject was 68 years old and had a complete spinal cord injury at level T2, weighted 185 lbs, was 71” tall, had been using a manual wheelchair for 7 years, and used a walker to aid with his transfers. This last subject could not attain the adjustable height protocol as mentioned above.