Study reports increasing rate of wheelchair breakdowns

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers reported last week that the incidence rate of wheelchair breakdowns has increased significantly. Moreover, users of wheelchairs paid for through Medicare and Medicaid had higher rates of breakdowns, a problem that could be related to recent changes in insurance reimbursement policies, researchers concluded.

The research was reported in a study published online by the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. A team led by Dr. Michael Boninger, professor and chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, reported in the study that more than one in three people with spinal-cord injuries needed two to three repairs on their wheelchairs in a six-month period.

That constituted a significant increase from studies conducted in the 2006-2011 period compared with the 2004-2006 period, researchers said. The average number of repairs has increased nearly 40 percent. Researchers studied 723 people using wheelchairs a minimum of 40 hours per week from 2006 to 2011.

Minorities and power-wheelchair users experienced a greater frequency of problems, such as seat malfunctions, and a higher number of reported consequences, ranging from missing medical appointments to being stranded or getting injured, researchers said.

“It’s causing problems at an incredible rate,” Boninger said in a prepared release. The study should prompt revision and re-evaluation of policies and testing for wheelchairs, he said.