iNRRTS sheds light on service techs 

LUBBOCK, Texas – iNRRTS in February surveyed complex rehab providers, therapists and stakeholders about the difficulties of providing service and repair, including the lack of qualified technicians and the need for professionalization.  

Numerous efforts to address service and repair issues have focused on documentation and reimbursement, but a lack of qualified techs has also impacted the ability of providers to provide these services, the organization believes. 

“That shortage has been a pain point in the industry, and we have a lot of anecdotal evidence, but we want to try and shed light on the data behind this,” said Andrea Madsen, executive director of iNRRTS. “We want to legitimize the efforts already being made and we want to find ways to better pinpoint the sources of these issues so we can build a pathway forward and ease some of the tension for everyone.” 

The survey drilled down into various aspects of the service tech’s role, including current obstacles to daily operations, skill sets required to excel in today’s tech landscape, training and development opportunities, and workforce trends and demographics. 

Both Madsen and Bill Noelting, director of marketing for iNRRTS, pointed to the pivotal role of service techs in complex rehab companies – “it’s a role that needs to be recognized as more than a stepping stone to becoming an ATP,” Noelting said. 

“Service techs actually have more face time with (wheelchair users) than anyone – more than the clinician and more than the CRTS,” Madsen added. “They have that bond and relationship. And it does require a specific and specialized set of skills. To qualify that and recognize that I think would go a long way with the consumer.” 

Part of that pathway forward may be a certification for service techs like what iNRRTS offers for registered rehabilitation technology suppliers (RRTSs) and certified complex rehabilitation technology suppliers (CRTSs). 

“We started having conversations about a service tech registry last year,” Noelting said. “(The survey) will help us find out if (providers) are eager to do this and to determine if there is desirability and acceptability to the idea.” 

While there are training programs for service techs, including those offered by the Assistive Mobility Repair Group (AMRG), they’re more about increasing the number of service techs vs. professionalizing the field, Madsen and Noelting said. 

“We would seek to elevate the technician profession through our registry,” Madsen said. “This would create greater recognition for individuals who engage in professional development and strengthen the efforts taken by groups such as AMRG.”