Remote monitoring of sitting behavior of people with spinal cord injury

The clinical assessment of risk factors leading to pressure sores is normally undertaken in a hospital clinic. However, knowledge of the sitting behavior of the patient outside the clinic may more realistically and comprehensively identify these factors. Many patients, for example, are thought to sit habitually with more pressure on one buttock than the other, and this may significantly increase the risk. This sitting asymmetry may be due to the layout of a work area, the home, or a simple habit. Furthermore, busy wheelchair users may be too preoccupied to remember to reposition themselves regularly but may do so frequently at less hectic times. The applicants have developed a miniature remote pressure logger, which keeps a record of the sitting behavior of the wheelchair user. This study examines the feasibility of using the device for long-term monitoring of sitting pressure distributions during daylong wheelchair activities.