Telerehabilitation for New Wheelchair Evaluations: A Retrospective Study of Patient Characteristics

• Published in: International journal of telerehabilitation Vol. 16; no. 1; p. e6630
• Main Authors: McClammer, Chelsea, Choma, Elizabeth A, Schein, Richard M, Schmeler, Mark R, Pramana, Gede, Gliniak, Jake, Morrow, Corey
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States University Library System, University of Pittsburgh 2024
• Subjects: Adaptive technology; Cohort analysis; COVID-19; Datasets; Disability; Handicapped accessibility; Handicapped assistance devices; Health care; Health services; Health services research; Mobility; Occupational therapy; Orthopedic apparatus; Pandemics; Patient satisfaction; People with disabilities; Remote Wheelchair Assessment; Rural areas; Spinal cord injuries; Telemedicine; Telerehabilitation; Wheelchair evaluations; Wheelchairs; Wheelchair evaluations; Telerehabilitation; Health services research
• DOI: 10.5195/ijt.2024.6630
• EISSN: 1945-2020

The purpose of this paper was to describe the clinical and personal factors of persons with disabilities (PwD) seeking a new wheelchair evaluation via telerehabilitation compared to in-person appointments. This retrospective cohort analysis used the Functional Mobility Assessment and Uniform Dataset, which is a nationwide registry with ongoing enrollment at 31 clinical sites of PwD seeking a new wheelchair evaluation. PwD were stratified into either a Telerehabilitation Group or In-Person Group. There were 1,669 PwD in the Telerehabilitation Group and 10,284 in the In-Person Group. The Telerehabilitation Group had a higher mean age and higher percentage of Progressively Acquired Disabilities than the In-Person Group. This project lays the groundwork for future comparative effectiveness studies, which may influence telerehabilitation reimbursement policies for wheelchair services.