An Updated Review on the Impact of an Eye-Controlled Wheelchair on Quality of Life of Patients with Neurological Disorders and theirCaregivers

Paralyzed individuals, depending on their severity, are usually incapable of operating an electric wheelchair because it requires a common method of maneuvering, such as a joystick with buttons to control the chair. In such a case, an eye-controlled wheelchair can be utilized as it functions to facilitate mobility assistance for paralyzed or elderly individuals with limited movement within their natural environment.

This study aimed to explore the impact of using an eye-controlled wheelchair in a home-care environment on the quality of life of patients with neurological disorders.

This case study was conducted by two neurological condition patients from a local home-care setting. To achieve the research objective, online questionnaires via Google Form were administered verbally after the eye-controlled wheelchair usage and subjects’ feedback was filled by the researchers. The efficiency of using the eye-controlled wheelchair was measured by the subject’s exhaustion level and workload. The total workload needed for wheelchair usage was measured using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) tool, and a self-designed questionnaire was developed and validated (face and content validation) before the commencement of the study to measure subjective quality of life.

The relationship between the quality of life and the total subjective workload was calculated using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Subject A displays a strong positive correlation (r =0.8476, n =8, P<.05), while, for Subject B (r =0.6196, n =8, P>.05), a moderate positive correlation was found between total subjective workload and quality of life. Overall, a positive correlation was observed between subjective workload and quality of life: as the workload decreased through the use of the eye-controlled wheelchair, the quality of life for both patients and caregivers significantly improved.

This study concluded that an eye-controlled wheelchair has a positive impact on the quality of life of patients with neurological disorder. This wheelchair will be beneficial for individuals with limited hand strength who are unable to operate a manual wheelchair or an electric one that uses a joystick or buttons.