Project Type
modular
Project Lead Center
University of Pittsburgh Model Center on Spinal Cord Injury
Project Start Date
09/01/2021
Project End Date
08/31/2026
Participating Centers
Spaulding New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center

Aim 1 - Collect descriptive data on Assistive Technology (AT) used by individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) including wheelchair make, model, failures, and repairs. This data will enable us to track the impact of insurance market changes, find differences in wheelchair failures, and present this information to wheelchair users.

Hypothesis:

  1. The prevalence and type of wheelchair failures will vary across manufacturers.
  2. Device satisfaction will be inversely correlated with adverse consequences.
  3. Response in service time for repairs will vary by vendor and service region.
  4. Users will experience additional consequences secondary to waiting for a repair to be completed.
  5. Intensity of wheelchair use will be associated with incidence of repairs.

Aim 2 - Explore the influence of individual characteristics such as financial strain, educational quality, health literacy, geographic location, and self-efficacy on differences in AT quality and other health related outcomes for individuals with SCI.