# Development of Technologies to Increase In-Seat Movement to Prevent Sitting-Acquired Pressure Injuries in Wheelchair Users

> **NIH NIH R01** · MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER · 2021 · $414,697

## Abstract

SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Adults with Alzheimer’s disease are at an increased risk of developing pressure injuries (commonly known as
pressure ulcers). In a recent study by PI Sonenblum, 7% of adults with Alzheimer’s disease from a large EMR-
based cohort study developed pressure injuries, and Alzheimer’s disease was the mobility related disability
with the highest prevalence of pressure injuries behind spinal cord injury and spina bifida. Pressure injuries
lead to high healthcare costs, further disability, decreased quality of life, pressure injury pain in older adults,
and can result in death when sepsis is present. Wheelchair use is responsible for 36% to 50% of pressure
injuries, and wheelchair use is common among adults with Alzheimer’s both living at home or in assisted living
facilities. Further, the latest NPIAP/EPUAP guidelines highlight that older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and
its related dementias continue to be under-assessed and under-treated for pressure injuries and related
symptoms. Thus, there exists a need to improve the way we care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease who
use wheelchairs to better prevent seating-acquired pressure injuries. A key component for the prevention of
pressure injuries is minimizing prolonged pressure under the sacral, ischial, and sacrococcygeal areas through
movement and shifting of the body. Our team has developed two novel technologies that provide feedback to
increase body movement to prevent pressure injuries. Both systems (WiSAT and AW-Shift) utilize advanced
sensors placed either under or atop a wheelchair cushion that communicate to a mobile application (app) that
can be viewed by the wheelchair user and/or caregiver on a smart phone or tablet. The systems provide
feedback to the user to motivate the performance of pressure relieving behaviors. Our current NIH funded
project is testing the effectiveness of the two systems to improve pressure-reducing in-seat body movement in
adults with spinal cord injury and related disorders. Both systems have gone through an extensive user-
centered design process with wheelchair users without significant cognitive disability, and the systems have
been tailored for personal use by the wheelchair user. We propose that these systems could have a significant
role in improving the management the skin health of adults with Alzheimer’s disease who use or sit in
wheelchairs for long periods of time. However, both systems need to be tailored to the needs of adults with
Alzheimer’s disease and/or their caregivers. We propose to perform a thorough needs assessment of key
stakeholders followed by a tailoring of the system to user needs. Finally, we will perform usability testing of
both systems in the target population to determine the user experience and guide further development and
testing.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10289178
- **Project number:** 3R01AG056255-05S1
- **Recipient organization:** MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER
- **Principal Investigator:** M. Susan Hallbeck
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $414,697
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2017-09-15 → 2023-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10289178

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10289178, Development of Technologies to Increase In-Seat Movement to Prevent Sitting-Acquired Pressure Injuries in Wheelchair Users (3R01AG056255-05S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10289178. Licensed CC0.

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