Article

In the United States (US), wheeled mobility and seating equipment is classified
as Durable Medical Equipment (DME). DME includes a wide array of devices
including canes, walkers, home oxygen equipment, hospital beds, and wheelchairs.
Seating and mobility devices reflect a wide range of DME,
from relatively simple
standard manual wheelchairs and cushions to highly complex manual and power
wheelchairs and custom seating systems. This wide range of complexity results in
a wide range of policies that govern the provision of seating and mobility
equipment. This article results from a presentation during the Wheeled Mobility
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center's (RERC's) State of the Science
Conference in 2012. The presentation was designed to proffer key concepts related
to coverage policies and policy decision-making. Topics covered include an
introduction to key policy issues impacting seating and mobility equipment, a
description of the barriers that prevent or hinder research being used to inform
coverage policy decisions, discussion of the challenges surrounding
evidence-based policy decisions regarding seating and mobility, and suggestions
of strategies for including policy makers and other stakeholders in setting
research priorities and in reporting research findings. Implications for
rehabilitation: In the United States, wheeled mobility and seating equipment are
classified as Durable Medical Equipments which are governed by a wide range of
policies. Researchers should be encouraged to supplement research articles with
articles that explicitly address clinical and policy implications of the work.
Policy-makers should be encouraged to engage researchers to insure the breadth of knowledge and evidence is represented and understood.

Langue : ANGLAIS