Outcomes table.

Background Current wheelchair acquisition, prescription, and training programs often require comprehensive assessments integrating both power mobility skills and cognitive abilities. While wheelchair simulators offer promise for these assessments, but they have not been fully validated. Objective This study aims to develop and refine a protocol for evaluating the feasibility, reliability and preliminary validity of virtual wheelchair simulator metrics in assessing users’ current power mobility skills and cognitive abilities, following STARD guidelines. Reference standards include the self-report Wheelchair Skill Test (WST), Power Mobility Road Test (PMRT) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Methods This multicentric, mixed-methods pilot study will recruit participants with mobility disabilities, a control group of individuals without disabilities, and healthcare professionals to use a virtual wheelchair simulator. Healthcare professionals will evaluate the simulator’s assessments and provide expert feedback on the protocol. Quantitative data will include simulator-derived performance metrics compared to reference standards, and physiological data (e.g., heart rate, skin conductance, temperature, inter-beat-intervals, accelerometer and eye-gaze tracking). Qualitative data (semi-structured interviews) will capture user experiences and insights for protocol refinement. The Quality of Experience (QoE) evaluation framework will assess cognitive workload (NASA-TLX and PAAS), usability (System Usability Scale), immersion (IGroup Presence Questionnaire), and emotion (Self-Assessment Manikin). Data analysis will include correlation analysis, regression models, thematic analysis, and statistical tests (e.g., independent t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests) to compare simulator-based performance across groups. Discussion This pilot study seeks to fill critical gaps in current wheelchair training and prescription methods by exploring the use of a virtual simulator to objectively assess both cognitive abilities and power mobility skills. Integrating the QoE assessment framework will provide insights into user interactions, ensuring that the simulator supports tailored training and improve user outcomes in mobility, and safety. Future research may extend this protocol to clinical settings to further evaluate its applicability and effectiveness.背景：当前轮椅购置、处方开具与培训项目通常需要结合动力移动技能与认知能力开展综合评估。尽管轮椅模拟器在这类评估中展现出应用潜力，但尚未得到充分验证。 研究目标：本研究遵循STARD指南，旨在开发并优化一套评估方案，用于验证虚拟轮椅模拟器指标在评估使用者当前动力移动技能与认知能力方面的可行性、信度及初步效度。参照标准包括自评式轮椅技能测试（Wheelchair Skill Test, WST）、动力移动道路测试（Power Mobility Road Test, PMRT）以及蒙特利尔认知评估量表（Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA）。 研究方法：本项多中心混合方法预试验将招募移动障碍参与者、非残疾人群对照组以及医疗专业人员使用虚拟轮椅模拟器。医疗专业人员将对模拟器的评估结果进行评价，并针对评估方案提供专家反馈。定量数据将包括模拟器生成的性能指标（与参照标准对比）以及生理数据（如心率、皮肤电导、体温、心搏间期、加速度计数据与眼动追踪数据）。定性数据（半结构化访谈）将收集使用者的体验与见解，用于优化评估方案。本研究将采用体验质量（Quality of Experience, QoE）评估框架，分别评估认知负荷（NASA-TLX与PAAS）、可用性（System Usability Scale）、沉浸感（IGroup Presence Questionnaire）与情绪状态（Self-Assessment Manikin）。数据分析将包含相关分析、回归模型、主题分析以及统计检验（如独立样本t检验、曼-惠特尼U检验），以比较不同组别基于模拟器的表现差异。 讨论：本预试验旨在探索通过虚拟模拟器客观评估认知能力与动力移动技能的方法，填补当前轮椅培训与处方方法中的关键空白。整合体验质量评估框架将有助于深入了解使用者的交互体验，确保模拟器能够支持个性化培训，提升使用者的移动能力与安全水平。未来研究可将该评估方案推广至临床场景，进一步验证其适用性与有效性。