Are you in the market for a quality rehab technology provider to help you select your next high-end wheelchair? This article will help you through the process of selecting the right provider.
A good provider should be more of a guide than a salesman. They should be treating you with honesty and integrity while at the same time educating you on your purchase options. The ultimate buying decision should be YOURS and be one that you are comfortable with and NOT pressured into.
Providers as Guides
Irrespective of how you decide to go about selecting a provider, the first factor to seek out is professional qualification such as Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America ( RESNA ) as an Assistive Technology Supplier ( ATS ), and an Assistive Technology Practitioner ( ATP ) – two professional standards that illustrate proficiency. The truth is, for a provider to sell rehabilitation wheelchairs, Medicare demands the ATS qualification. This is not a guarantee of great service but a good starting point.
Avoiding Mobility Pitchmen
If a provider asks few or no questions, and steers you toward a particular type of chair, this is a RED FLAG. In cases where a provider doesn’t ask you pertinent background questions like your impairment, living conditions, mode of transport, positioning requirements etc, chances are they are NOT the right provider for you.
10 Rehab Provider Rules
Here are 10 RULES you should expect from your rehab provider when selecting, ordering, fitting, and maintenance of a high-end wheelchair:
1. A provider should understand and recognize the physiological, operational, and specialized requirements of the client, endeavoring to communicate effectively, closely paying attention to the consumer.
If a provider is not clear on any specific points, they ought to make an effort to confer with other competent parties connected with the client, including a specialist, medical professional, or member of the family.
If the provider has not been trained in an area of expertise that the client requires, they ought to contact additional professional for help, or guide the buyer toward someone whom can best fulfill the consumer’s requirements.
2. A provider must operate in a capable way, returning calls quickly, keeping prearranged appointments, performing maintenance in a timely manner, and processing paperwork properly.
3. A provider must have complete, current information about product features and proper product uses, and supply the client with a number of product options that satisfy the patients physiological and operational requirements, along with the performance and stylistic desires of the consumer.
4. A provider should inform the client of any problem resolution process within the regulating organizations for which they are credentialed.
5. A provider will need to tell the buyer of the right to work with a vendor of the consumer’s choosing.
6. A provider would need to thoroughly go over costs and financing possibilities with the consumer, completely outlining the consumer’s financial obligation.
7. A provider should preserve privacy of the consumer’s data.
8. A provider should consider taking all appropriate actions to guarantee provision of premium quality equipment and ongoing support.
9. A provider should properly take care of buying, set up, fitting, fine-tuning, shipping, and follow-up alterations of products.
10. A provider should be of service to all consumers equally irrespective of ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or physical impairment.
These criteria are in line with those of the NRRTS Code, and is the means by which trustworthy providers service consumers.
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