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Tag: Mark Schmeler


Where’s the science? UPitt program will help create it  

Mobility

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...

Assistive Technology, Mark Schmeler, UPitt


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Weesie Walker

Mobility

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,...

Mark Schmeler, National Registry of Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers (NRRTS), Weesie Walker, Wheelchair


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Mobility

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...

Complex Rehab, International Seating Symposium (ISS), ISS, Mark Schmeler


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Seat elevation study adds evidence to industry’s cause 

Mobility

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...

Complex Rehab, Greg Packer, Mark Schmeler, seat elevation, U.S. Rehab, UPitt


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Mark Schmeler

Mobility

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...

Complex Rehab, International Seating Symposium (ISS), Mark Schmeler


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Mark Schmeler

Mobility

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...

Brad Dicianno, Complex Rehab, Coronavirus, Mark Schmeler, Pandemic, Telehealth


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Studies provide evidence supporting telehealth

Mobility

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...

Complex Rehab, Mark Schmeler, Telehealth


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Study boosts case for telehealth for complex rehab 

Also Noted

Study boosts case for telehealth for complex rehab 

January 11, 2021HME News Staff

PITTSBURGH – Telehealth can be effective in providing complex rehab technology, including custom-designed and custom-fitted manual and power wheelchairs, to veterans, according to two recent studies published in the International Journal of Telerehabilitation. The first study involved a cohort of veterans with disabilities who were assessed by a therapist through telehealth in their home for CRT and then compared to a matched sample of non-veterans who were assessed through traditional in-person...

Complex Rehab, Mark Schmeler, Telehealth, University of Pittsburgh


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Mobility

Complex rehab 'takes next step' with new program

September 11, 2020HME News Staff

PITTSBURGH - More than anything, the University of Pittsburgh's new Master of Rehabilitation Technology program will help to raise awareness among young professionals that specializing in assistive technology is a valid profession, says Mark Schmeler. So far, the department has received MRT applications from 10 students, mostly with engineering or pre-health science degrees, with a goal of up to 20 for the first year of the program. “There's a lot of potential workforce talent out there that...

Complex Rehab, Mark Schmeler, Master Program, UPitt


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Mobility

Build case for telehealth now

May 22, 2020Liz Beaulieu, Editor

WASHINGTON - The complex rehab industry needs to make the most of CMS's decision to expand telehealth services during the coronavirus pandemic, says Mark Schmeler. The agency announced in late April that it would begin allowing occupational therapists and physical therapists to provide telehealth services—a big win for therapists who specialize in seating and mobility, and who are trying to continue serving patients remotely. “We don't want this taken away (after the pandemic),”...

Complex Rehab, Coronavirus, Mark Schmeler, Pandemic, Telehealth


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