Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 88, Issue 3 , Pages 279-286 , March 2007

Effect of Motorized Scooters on Physical Performance and Mobility: A Randomized Clinical Trial

  • Helen Hoenig, MD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service, Durham Veterans Administration Medical Center, Durham, NC
    • Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests to Helen Hoenig, MD, MPH, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (117), Durham Veterans Administration Medical Center, 508 Fulton St, Durham, NC 27705
    • ,
  • Carl Pieper, DrPH

      Affiliations

    • Division of Biometry, Department of Community and Family Health, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
    • ,
  • Laurence G. Branch, PhD

      Affiliations

    • College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.
    • ,
  • Harvey Jay Cohen, MD

      Affiliations

    • GRECC, Durham Veterans Administration Medical Center, Durham, NC
    • Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC

  • Image Result

    Flow chart of progress of participants through stages in the trial. *Among 226 persons who called the central number, 66.8% were ineligible. Reasons for ineligibility included the following: did not m

    Flow chart of progress of participants through stages in the trial. *Among 226 persons who called the central number, 66.8% were ineligible. Reasons for ineligibility included the following: did not meet ARA criteria for OA or RA, 63.2%; vehicle would not accommodate lift, 21.9%; cardiac disease, 4.5%; owned scooter already, 3.5%; could not walk, 3.5%; cognitive impairment, 1.7%; no driver’s license, 0.9%; and other, 2.6% (some persons were ineligible for >1 reason). †Medical problems (n=4), transportation problem (n=1), and purchased a scooter (n=1). ‡Unhappy about being randomized to the scooter group (after baseline data collection but before having the lift installed on the car) (n=1), medical problems (n=1), and reasons unspecified (n=2).

 Supported in part by the Paul Beeson Faculty Scholar Program of the American Federation for Aging Research, the Duke University Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health (grant no. 2P60AG11268) and the Wheeled Mobility Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education (grant no. H133E030035-04). Pride Mobility Inc provided the motorized scooters at wholesale cost.No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the author(s) or upon any organization with which the author(s) is/are associated.

PII: S0003-9993(06)01530-9

doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2006.11.022

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 88, Issue 3 , Pages 279-286 , March 2007

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