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The experience of living with an environmental control system
Abstract   Peer reviewed

The experience of living with an environmental control system

Michele Verdonck, G Chard, M Nolan and E Steggles
British Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol.75(Supplement 1), p.67
College of Occupational Therapists Annual Conference and Exhibition, 36th (Glasgow, United Kingdom, 12-Jun-2012–14-Jun-2012)
2012
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/03080226120758S101
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https://doi.org/10.1177/03080226120758S101View
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Abstract

Public Health and Health Services
Introduction: Occupational therapists have an important role to play in working with people with high cervical spinal cord injury who have severe activity and participation limitations. Although the benefits of environmental control systems (ECS) have been identified (Rigby et al., 2005) there is little understanding of what it is like to live with an ECS. This study seeks to provide an insider's perspective on living with ECS and to enhance a clientcentred approach amongst occupational therapists. Methods: Following ethics approval, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with six purposefully selected people at the end of an 8-week trial using an ECS starter pack. Interviews were video recorded following informed participant consent. Anonymised verbatim transcripts were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis IPA (Smith et al., 2009). Results: The experience of living with an ECS starter pack was described by participants as "taking back a little of what is lost". Themes of "reclaiming some doing" as well as "feeling enabled" were also identified and supported by verbatim quotations. Impact for service users: The ECS provided experiences of doing and feeling things that had been lost as a result of disability. The "little" that was reclaimed was highly significant given the extent of occupational deprivation and feelings of dependence stemming from injury. Implications for occupational therapy: This insider's perspective highlights the role that ECS can play in achieving occupational therapy goals by facilitating a person's ability to do and thereby improving participation in occupations and feelings of enablement.

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