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Efficient Measurements during Seating Evaluations

Kirsten Davin, OTD, OTR/L, ATP, SMS

October 6, 2014

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Question

There are a lot of measurements to take during the seating evaluation.  Do you have suggestions or strategies to make it more efficient? 

Answer

Yes, there are five of the anatomical measurements that can be performed in succession without removing the actual tape from the individual.  See measurements FGHJL in the figure below.  You will need an assistant who can write down measurements as you call them out.  Start with the beginning of the measuring tape resting on the client’s seat and extend the tape up to the top of their head to obtain the "seat to top of head" measurement.  Next, keep the beginning of the tape resting on the seat and move the top of the tape down to the occiput at the base of the skull to obtain the "seat to occiput" measurement.  Then you can take the "seat to top of shoulder" measurement by sliding the tape to the acromion process.  You will then take the "seat to the inferior angle” of the scapula measurement.  Be careful with this measurement as you may need to palpate or ask the client to extend their humerus to cause the scapula to wing to find out where that inferior angle is.  Still with the beginning of the measuring tape on the client’s seat, the final measurement is the "seat to the top of the iliac crest.”  You can go through those five measurements fairly quickly by not moving the beginning of the tape and just starting at the top of the head, then sliding the tape down to the occiput, to the shoulder, the scapula, and the iliac crest.  This strategy is helpful in terms of efficiency due to faster measuring, but also less human error.  By minimizing the number of times you apply and reapply the measuring tape, the risk for human error will be reduced also.

Diagram of anatomical measurement locations relevant to wheelchair seating evaluations

Editor’s note: This Ask the Expert was adapted from the course, ‘Performing a Successful Seating and Mobility Evaluation’ that is available in text, video and audio course formats. 

 


kirsten davin

Kirsten Davin, OTD, OTR/L, ATP, SMS

Dr. Kirsten Davin is a veteran Occupational Therapist of nearly 20 years, with extensive experience in a variety of practice settings including inpatient rehabilitation, acute care, intensive care, and the Central Illinois Regional Burn Center. Since initially obtaining her bachelor’s in occupational therapy in 2001, followed by her post-professional OT Doctorate (OTD) in 2007, Kirsten has served not only as a clinician but also in the role of a clinical consultant specializing in product design and development. Kirsten has fabricated hundreds of splints within her acute care and clinical consulting career, many of which were custom fabricated and individually designed on a case-by-case basis. Her splinting experience ranges from a standard safe position and resting hand splints to highly intricate dynamic splints for the hand, wrist, lower extremities, and cervical spine, incorporating all varieties of materials and splinting medium.

For more than a decade, she has been best known for her live, national speaking tours, which to date have reached over 20,000 therapists in 46 states.  She has conducted thousands of educational events on the topics of seating/positioning, assistive technology, work-life balance, acute care/ICU rehabilitation, splint fabrication, orthotic application, and more. Dr. Davin is an engaging speaker who strives to make learning fun. 

 


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