Paula Rushton, Ph.D.

Education

• B.Sc. Biology et Psychology, Mount Allison University (1993)
• M.Cl.Sc.(OT) Occupational Therapy, University of Western Ontario (1999)
• Ph.D. Rehabilitation Sciences, University of British Columbia (2010)
• Post-doctorate, Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Montréal (2014)

Current research projects

• Integration of wheelchair service delivery process education in university rehabilitation programs
• Development of a toolkit for educators of the wheelchair service provision process in rehabilitation university programs. http://smart.wheelchairnetwork.org/
• Reducing the gap between evidence and practice in wheelchair skills testing and training: Development of a knowledge translation intervention for the rehabilitation context

Selected publications

• Rushton, P. W., & Daoust, G. (2018). Wheelchair skills training for occupational therapy students: comparison of university-course versus “boot-camp” approaches. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 1-7. doi:10.1080/17483107.2018.1486468
• Lam, J. F., Gosselin, L., & Rushton, P. W. (2018). Use of Virtual Technology as an Intervention for Wheelchair Skills Training: A Systematic Review. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 99(11), 2313-2341. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2018.02.007
• Pituch, E., Rushton, P. W., Ngo, M., Heales, J., & Poulin Arguin, A. (2018). Powerful or Powerless? Children’s, Parents’, and Occupational Therapists’ Perceptions of Powered Mobility. Physical & Occupational Therapy Pediatrics, 1-16. doi:10.1080/01942638.2018.1496964
• Rushton, P. W., Smith, E. M., Miller, W. C., Kirby, R. L., & Daoust, G. (2018). Reliability and responsiveness of the Self-Efficacy in Assessing, Training and Spotting wheelchair skills (SEATS) outcome measure. Disability and Rehabilitation Assistive Technology, 1-5. doi:10.1080/17483107.2018.1428370
• Rushton, P. W., Labbe, D., Demers, L., Miller, W. C., Mortenson, W. B., & Kirby, R. L. (2017). Understanding the Burden Experienced by Caregivers of Older Adults Who Use a Powered Wheelchair: A Cross-Sectional Study. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 3, 1- doi:10.1177/2333721417703736
• Fung, K. H., Rushton, P. W., Gartz, R., Goldberg, M., Toro, M. L., Seymour, N., & Pearlman, J. (2017). Wheelchair service provision education in academia. African Journal of Disability, 6, 340. doi:10.4102/ajod.v6i0.340

Research interests

• Wheelchair skills testing and training
• Wheelchair confidence testing and training
• The development of technologies for wheelchair skills training
• Knowledge translation of the Wheelchair Skills Program
• Training of rehabilitation professionals in the wheelchair service provision process