Tag: Mark Schmeler
New research could strengthen case for PWC repair reform
March 6, 2026Liz Beaulieu, Editor
PITTSBURGH – Industry stakeholders are pursuing multiple regulatory and legislative avenues to improve the power wheelchair (PWC) service and repair process for both providers and users. Now, new research led by Mark Schmeler at the University of Pittsburgh suggests a potential root cause that may be contributing to persistent repair challenges.
Schmeler, PhD, OTR/L, ATP, associate professor and vice chairman for clinical services and policy in the Department of Rehabilitation Science &...
In wake of survey, ‘it’s time to rewrite CMS policy,’ stakeholders say
March 7, 2025Liz Beaulieu, Editor
PITTSBURGH – A recent survey that shows most stakeholders are not satisfied with the current wheelchair service delivery process is damning but necessary if the industry wants to drive change, Mark Schmeler and Brad Dicianno say.
The survey, conducted by the University of Pittsburgh, The Ohio State University and University of Michigan, found that only 18% of 1,052 respondents felt positively about the delivery process.
“People may say, why is this significant; we knew...
CRT survey seeks common ground
May 15, 2024Liz Beaulieu, Editor
PITTSBURGH – A major goal of a survey asking for feedback on what should be included in a hypothetical new coverage policy for complex rehab technology is to “see how much people agree,” says the University of Pittsburgh’s Mark Schmeler.
UPitt, in collaboration with other investigators, launched the survey earlier this year, asking for feedback from a variety of stakeholders, including wheelchair users, caregivers, clinicians, providers, manufacturers, technicians,...
Where’s the science? UPitt program will help create it
August 16, 2023Liz Beaulieu, Editor
PITTSBURGH – One of the goals of a new post-doctoral fellowship program at the University of Pittsburgh is to fill a long-standing void in assistive technology research, says Mark Schmeler.
UPitt’s Rehabilitation Science and Technology Department announced in July that it received a five-year grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research to support clinicians with post-doctoral fellowships to advance their careers in assistive...
NRRTS develops ‘constitution’ for repairs
July 21, 2023Liz Beaulieu, Editor
LUBBOCK, Texas – NRRTS, with help from a team of clinicians, has developed a best practice guideline for wheelchair service, preventative maintenance and repair – something the organization hopes will, eventually, serve as a vehicle for better coverage and reimbursement.
NRRTS put out the four-page guideline – which was developed by Jack Fried, MS; Mark Schmeler, PhD, OTR/L, ATP; Richard Schein, PhD, MPH; Gede Pramana, PhD; Madelyn Betz, MS, ATP; Weesie Walker,...
ISS ‘gets back to normal’
January 31, 2023Liz Beaulieu, Editor
PITTSBURGH – Hybrid events are increasingly more common, but the 38th International Seating Symposium will take place exclusively in-person on April 13-15 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.
“We’re focusing on making this a really good in-person event,” said Mark Schmeler, PhD, OTR/L, ATP, associate professor and vice chair for educating and training in the Department of Rehabilitation Science & Technology at the University of Pittsburgh. “We’re...
Seat elevation study adds evidence to industry’s cause
December 9, 2022Liz Beaulieu, Editor
PITTSBURGH – A new study showing the functional mobility, employment and safety benefits of seat elevation devices is a good example of how large data sets can be used to, hopefully, guide policy and practice, says Mark Schmeler.
The study, published online in Assistive Technology, the official journal of RESNA, in October, pulled findings from the Functional Mobility Assessment tool, which now has more than 13,000 data points.
“This is the first example our industry...
ISS prioritizes patient care
October 29, 2021Liz Beaulieu, Editor
PITTSBURGH – Organizers have moved the International Seating Symposium from October to January, in large part, to make sure clinicians are free to help with COVID-19 patients who are in recovery, says Mark Schmeler.
“We are all, as clinicians, busy taking care of people,” said Schmeler, an associate professor in the Rehabilitation Science and Technology Department at the University of Pittsburgh, which is organizing the event. “You see on the news that ICU beds are...
Future of CRT: Shifting workflows, improved infrastructure, outside inspiration
February 19, 2021Liz Beaulieu, Editor
PITTSBURGH – How might the exploding use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic change the provision of complex rehab technology forever? Dr. Brad Dicianno and Mark Schmeler offer their takes.
Shift workflow
While some stakeholders are quick to point out that telehealth isn’t appropriate in every case, Dicianno and Schmeler say they’re not so sure, at least on a certain level.
“Brad...
Studies provide evidence supporting telehealth
February 12, 2021Liz Beaulieu, Editor
PITTSBURGH – Two recent studies help to back up claims that using telehealth to provide complex rehab technology is equally as effective and, in many cases, patient preferred.
The first study, published in the International Journal of Rehabilitation, found that pre- and post-scores on the Functional Mobility Assessment questionnaire were similar for two groups receiving complex rehab wheelchairs: veterans with disabilities...