Richard Scrupp has written an excellent article in TherapyTimes about how OTs help determine which devices will best help patients achieve independence. We are happy to note that Total Medical Solutions' Vice President, Rehabilitation Technology and Complex Care is included in the article. Here's an excerpt:
With the increasing speed at which technology advances nowadays, it is no surprise that devices used in therapy have evolved quite a bit from what they were 20, even 10 years ago. Brand-new gadgets and new models of existing gadgets are constantly being introduced to the market. While most of these advances are geared toward patient comfort and convenience, sometimes it takes a little bit of education and training to make these seemingly autonomously-functioning tools work for the patient instead of against him.
The sheer number of items that can fall under the assistive technology category is astonishing. Anything from wheelchairs and canes to verbal communicators and speech-recognition devices can be considered assistive technology. Despite whatever form the item happens to take, be it the latest high-tech gadgetry or something as basic as a walking cane, each device requires a certain amount of training to be able to use it correctly and effectively. Depending on the individual, sometimes a motorized wheelchair requires just as much training to operate as a speech device.
Click here to read the full article at TherapyTimes