Comparison of three tracking methods to assess usage of two pediatric powered mobility devices for young children with cerebral palsy.
Bethany M Sloane, Mia Hoffman, Samuel W Logan et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
In 30 seconds
This randomized-order comparative study assessed three methods for tracking use of two powered mobility devices in 12 children with cerebral palsy. Each child used a Modified Ride-on Car (MROC) and a Permobil Explorer Mini (EM) for eight consecutive weeks per device in home and community settings. Tracking methods showed no significant differences for the MROC; for the EM, session duration differed only between GPS trackers and caregiver-reported activity logs. Caregiver logs indicated greater total usage minutes and session duration for the EM than the MROC, whereas GPS data did not show this difference.
Key findings
- For the MROC, integrated loggers, GPS trackers, and caregiver activity logs showed no significant differences in usage metrics.
- For the EM, session duration differed only between GPS trackers and caregiver-reported activity logs.
- Caregiver logs showed significantly greater total usage minutes and session duration for the EM than the MROC; GPS tracking did not.
- Correlations among tracking methods varied for both devices.
Why it matters
Device-use estimates can depend on the tracking method and the powered mobility device being assessed. This matters when evaluating whether children are using mobility interventions and interpreting usage as part of outcome assessment. The variable agreement reported here underscores that usage measures from different sources may not be interchangeable.
What to keep in mind
The study included 12 children, and tracking-method comparisons were conducted across only two devices and an eight-week use period per device.