The Inside Track The mobility aid industry is constantly changing, owing in part to ongoing advances in electronics, as well as the continuing fallout from the 1997 Balanced Budget Act (BBA). Rehab Management spoke to Scott Higley, national sales manager for Quantum Rehab, a division of Pride Mobility Products, Exeter, Pa, about that evolution. Q: How has the mobility aid industry evolved over the past 10 years, particularly in light of the devastating BBA of 1997? A: Until about 5 years ago, our industry was fairly stagnant. It had become a cookie-cutter industry, with everyone putting out the same products year after year. Also, the end-user customer was taken for granted. Now we can’t do that, because chair users, for example, know exactly what they want, and they’re shopping around more, and becoming more educated. We’re seeing more focus on our customers, whether they are therapists, rehab providers, or patients. A lot of this has happened as a result of the BBA, as we’ve all had to be more focused on value and pricing, and giving more for less. When funds are short like this, you have to find different ways to mount chairs, for example, that don’t cost as much. Q: How is new technology affecting the mobility aid industry? A: Certainly electronics are improving on a daily basis. In fact, it’s almost hard to keep up with all the new developments. Because of this, we look to other industries, like the auto industry, for clues. Something like the new Segway scooter that’s getting all this publicity, we’ll watch that, for example. In fact, that’s proof right there that mobility aid products are becoming more like cars and computers: very high-tech. The one thing about technology that is always a problem, however, is cost. The challenge for us is to try to be creative using the latest technology, but with an eye on what it costs to build chairs and scooters that our customers can afford. Also, our products are getting more sophisticated. A wheelchair is no longer just two big wheels and a frame. Q: How has the mobility aid industry changed the way rehabilitation is provided? A: I think we’ve brought therapists and providers together, and into the product development process in ways they hadn’t been before. Rehab providers are now directly involved in implementing ideas with companies like ours, and in turn, hopefully our industry has made providing rehabilitation a much more seamless process for them. Q: What does the future hold for Pride Mobility Products? A: We will definitely continue to focus on listening to providers and therapists, using their feedback as we develop products. And we’ll have more of a focus on electronics, as we try to create higher levels of style and performance in areas like seating interfaces. And, as always, we’ll try to do this in a cost-effective way if we can. —Ben Van Houten, Associate Editor
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