Wheelchair repairs, breakdown, and adverse consequences for people with traumatic spinal cord injury.
McClure LA, Boninger ML, Oyster ML, Williams S, Houlihan B, Lieberman JA, Cooper RA. Wheelchair repairs, breakdown, and adverse consequences for people with traumatic spinal cord injury.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the frequency of repairs that occurred in a 6-month period and the consequences of breakdowns on wheelchair users living with spinal cord injuries (SCIs), and to determine whether certain wheelchair and subject characteristics are associated with an increased number of repairs and adverse consequences.


METHODS
Convenience sample survey.


METHODS
Sixteen Model Spinal Cord Injury Systems Centers that are part of the national database funded through the Department of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.


METHODS
People with SCI who use a wheelchair for more than 40h/wk (N=2213).


METHODS
Not applicable.


METHODS
The frequency of wheelchair repairs and occurrence of adverse consequences caused by a wheelchair breakdown in a 6-month period.


RESULTS
Within a 6-month period, 44.8% of full-time wheelchair users completed a repair, and 8.7% had an adverse consequence occur. People who use power wheelchairs required significantly more repairs (P<.001), and adverse consequences occurred more frequently (P<.001) compared with manual wheelchair users. The presence of power seat functions, and a person's occupational status or sex did not influence the number of repairs or adverse consequences.


CONCLUSIONS
Frequent repairs and breakdown can negatively impact a person's life by decreasing community participation and threatening health and safety. Mandatory compliance with the American National Standards Institute and the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America standards, changes in insurance reimbursement policy, and patient and clinician education are necessary to reduce the number of repairs and adverse consequences that occur.
McClure
Laura A
LA
Human Engineering Research Laboratories, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Boninger
Michael L
ML
Oyster
Michelle L
ML
Williams
Steve
S
Houlihan
Bethlyn
B
Lieberman
Jesse A
JA
Cooper
Rory A
RA
D000328:Adult; D055615:Electrical Equipment and Supplies; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014910:Wheelchairs