Karen L Frost

University of Louisville | UL · Department of Bioengineering

Background: Wheelchair users (WCUs) often rely on ramps for access to transit buses. Previous studies indicate WCUs have difficulty using ramps for bus ingress/egress and many transportation-related incidents occur on ramps. However, experiences of WCU ramp usage during ingress/egress have not been fully described. Methods: Cross-sectional, interne...

The purpose of this study was to characterize wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint system (WTORS) usage in paratransit vehicles based on observations of wheelchair and scooter (wheeled mobility devices, collectively, “WhMD”) passenger trips. A retrospective review of on-board video monitoring recordings of WhMD trips was conducted. Four hundre...

Wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint system (WTORS). Reprinted from Ride Safe (http://wc-transportation-safety.umtri.umich.edu/ridesafe-brochure) under a CC-BY license, with permission from the Regents of the University of Michigan, original copyright 2015. (PDF)

Background: More than twenty-five years after passage of the ADA, little remains known about the experiences of wheelchair users when attempting to access health care and how accessibility may influence health care utilization. Objective/hypothesis: To describe health care utilization among wheelchair users and characterize barriers encountered...

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires full and equal access to healthcare services and facilities, yet studies indicate individuals with mobility disabilities receive less than thorough care as a result of ADA noncompliance. The objective of our pilot study was to assess ADA compliance within a convenience sample of healthcare clinics...

This paper characterizes incidents that occur on large, public transit buses involving wheeled mobility devices. A retrospective study of wheelchair-related incident reports for the period 2002 - 2005 was conducted in collaboration with a metropolitan transit agency. Eighty-three incidents were examined. Results indicate that the majority of incide...

To estimate the prevalence of wheeled mobility device (WhMD) ramp-related incidents while boarding/alighting a public transit bus and determine whether frequency of incidents is less when ramp slope meets the proposed ADA maximum allowable limit of ≤9.5°. Observational. Community public transportation. 414 WhMD users accessing a public transit bus...

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS Wheeled mobility device passengers rely upon bus operators for proper securement of the wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint system during transit. Yet, wheeled mobility devices are rarely properly secured, and passengers are often unrestrained during transit. This study investigated the usability of wheelchair tiedow...

Objective To identify from whom individuals with spinal cord injury seek health care, the percentage who receive preventative care screenings, and the frequency and types of barriers they encounter when accessing primary and specialty care services. Additionally, we examined how socio-demographic factors affect access to care and receipt of prevent...

Purpose: The slopes of fixed-route bus ramps deployed for wheeled mobility device (WhMD) users during boarding and alighting were assessed. Measured slopes were compared to the proposed Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) maximum allowable ramp slope. Methods: A ramp-embedded inclinometer measured ramp slope during WhMD user boarding and aligh...

The purpose of this study was to characterize wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint system (WTORS) usage in public transit buses based on observations of wheelchair and scooter (wheeled mobility device: WhMD) passenger trips. A retrospective review of on-board video surveillance recordings of WhMD trips on fixed-route, large accessible transit...

Large accessible transit vehicles (LATVs, fixed-route intracity buses), generally considered safe, may not be as safe for wheelchair-seated passengers. Transit provider practices vary regarding use of wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint systems (WTORSs), while recent research suggests high levels of WTORS disuse and misuse. We sought to bette...

An overview of the current status of wheelchair transportation safety in fixed route and demand-responsive, non-rail, public transportation vehicles within the US is presented. A description of each mode of transportation is provided, followed by a discussion of the primary issues affecting safety, accessibility, and usability. Technologies such as...

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) specifies guidelines covering the securement system and environment for wheeled mobility device (WhMD) passengers on the public bus system in the United States, referred to as the wheelchair tie-down and occupant restraint system (WTORS). The misuse or disuse of the WTORS system can be a source of injury fo...

The objectives of this study were to characterize the ingress and egress activities of wheeled mobility device (WhMD) passengers using fixed-route large, accessible tran-sit vehicles (LATVs), and to examine factors associated with incidents occurring on ramps. A retrospective review of public transit video surveillance footage of WhMD-seated passen...

Characterize wheeled mobility device (WhMD) adverse incidents on large accessible transit vehicles (LATVs) based on vehicle motion, WhMD activity during incident, incident scenario and injury. Retrospective records review. WhMD passengers traveling on LATVs while remaining seated in their. Adverse incidents characterized based on vehicle motion, Wh...

Stretching before performance is a common practice among athletes in hopes of increasing performance and reducing the risk of injury. However, cumulative results indicate a negative impact of static stretching and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) on performance; thus, there is a need for evaluating other stretching strategies for eff...

Conditioning the body to undergo physical stress such as joint arthroplasty has been termed prehabilitation. This case study examined the effect of a 4-week prehabilitation intervention on functional outcomes after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Two female subjects completed baseline strength and functional assessments before TKA. Subjects were ran...

Sexuality is a complex concept that can be measured based on various aspects. Depending on the variable of interest, investigators may wish to focus on sexual behavior (activity), sexual orientation (attraction to a particular gender), or sexual identity (self-identification with a particular group of people). Further complicating the process is th...

Following total knee arthroplasty (TKA), physical therapists must evaluate patient readiness to safely begin stair-climbing. Physical therapists might find self-reported chair-rise ability useful in determining stair-climbing readiness of patients. We grouped 31 subjects who were at approximately 3.6 weeks post-TKA by chair-rise ability (group 1 =...

To describe differences in alcohol use, marijuana use, and smoking behaviors between lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) and heterosexual college students, and determine whether there was a difference in the health information each group received. A random sample of 3000 college students aged 18-24 years who were currently enrolled at a southeastern m...

We compared differences in isometric strength between older adults who have undergone elective unilateral total hip arthroplasty (THA) and completed rehabilitation with a population of community-dwelling older adults who have not had THA. The study was a cross-sectional design, and 22 unilateral THA subjects and 38 community-dwelling older adults p...

BACKGROUND: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) involves replacement of a diseased knee joint with a prosthetic device and commonly involves prolonged postoperative rehabilitation. Deficits in strength and physical function commonly persist following. The model of prehabilitation predicts that changes in postoperative physical function is related to the...

To evaluate differences in isokinetic hip flexion, extension, and abduction muscle performance of operated vs. nonoperated hips in older adults who have undergone elective, unilateral, total hip replacement (THR) surgery and completed rehabilitation. Quasi-experimental study using a nonequivalent posttest-only control group design, comprising 20 un...