Page 18 - Mobility Management, July 2018

CRT Trends: Big Data
Quality Assurance & the FMA
What Clients Say
About CRT
Does Complex Rehab Technology Improve Function?
Does complex rehab technology (CRT) work? Do the interventions of clinicians, rehabilitation technology suppliers and highly customized, individually fitted seating and wheeled mobility systems improve outcomes for clients with severe, permanent and sometimes progressive conditions that impact mobility?
If you’re among the professionals working daily with this population, you undoubtedly say yes. You’ve seen how positioning systems, wheelchairs and electronics make it possible for clients to live at home, work or go to school, and be involved in their communities.
But can you prove it to referral or funding sources? Do you have something to offer beyond personal experiences and anecdotes from colleagues?
With quality assurance results from the Functional Mobility Assessment (FMA) now being published, the answer is yes.
What Is the FMA?
In the June issue of Mobility Management, we reviewed the FMA, a 10-question survey that asks adults to rate their ability to perform various activities (e.g., reaching for objects, transferring, leaving their homes) before and after they started using their wheelchairs. Participants give responses on a scale of 1 (Completely Disagree)
to 6 (Completely Agree), and they’re asked to complete the survey multiple times, to track whether their answers change over time, especially after being provided with properly chosen and fit equipment.
The FMA was developed by a team at the University of Pittsburgh, including Mark Schmeler, Ph.D., OTR/L, ATP, Associate Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Science & Technology. U.S. Rehab, a division of The VGM Group, has worldwide rights from Pittsburgh
to “commercialize and collect data with the FMA,”
Primary Insurance (n=1182)
Medicare
Medicaid Medicare Managed Care Private Insurance: Fee for Service Private Insurance: HMO Medicaid Managed Care Other/Not Listed Worker’s Comp Private Pay Vocational Rehab Veterans Affairs
55.75%
13.71% 8.46%
6.43% 6.09% 5.84%
2.12% 0.85%
0.51% 0.17% 0.08%
0.00% 20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
Chart 1
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MobilityMgmt.com
ABSTRACT BAR GRAPH: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ROYYIMZY