As a guest user you are not logged in or recognized by your IP address. You have
access to the Front Matter, Abstracts, Author Index, Subject Index and the full
text of Open Access publications.
The effectiveness of new assistive technologies must be carefully evaluated. The purpose of this study is to develop a protocol to evaluate the efficacy of new assistive devices. As a case study, we describe the evaluation of a simple, fail-safe wheelchair brake that reduces the risk of falls during patient transfers. The evaluation protocol includes a short-term evaluation of the efficacy and safety of the mechanical functions and a long-term evaluation of clinical use. The short-term evaluation confirmed the functionality and safety, and the long-term evaluation confirmed the reduction in the risk of falls.