Study emphasizes importance of proper mobility devices 

PITTSBURGH – Clinical investigators from the University of Pittsburgh and the Medical University of South Carolina recently published a study that shows different types of mobility devices and certain characteristics of people with limited mobility are associated with reported falls. 

The study, published in the journal Disability & Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, and based on an analysis of more than 11,000 deidentified cases from the Functional Mobility Assessment and Uniform Dataset (FMA/UDS) Registry, found: 

• 52% of people reported at least one fall in the three months prior to their assessment for a new mobility device 

• 47% of people who reported a fall were using a walking aid or no device at all 

• People with progressively acquired disabilities (i.e., Parkinson’s disease, osteoarthritis, and cardiopulmonary disease) reported higher rates of falls than those with congenital disabilities (i.e., cerebral palsy and spina bifida) 

• Fewer falls were also reported in people using custom fitted manual wheelchairs and powered mobility devices 

Commentary: 

“The findings from this study provide more evidence as to how properly fitted mobility devices matched to a person’s needs can contribute to the reduction of falls,” said Mark Schmeler, study co-author, who oversees management of the FMA/UDS Registry as an occupational therapist and associate professor at Pitt’s Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology. 

“The findings indicate earlier interventions for fall prevention, including professional wheelchair evaluations, may be warranted,” said lead author Corey Morrow, assistant professor and LeaRRn Scholar at MUSC and an occupational therapist. “However, further research will explore the long-term impact of properly prescribed mobility devices on falls.” 

“I thank all members and clinical partners who are contributing to the registry as large data and research is essential to advocate for the field of complex rehabilitation technology,” said Tyler Mahncke, president of U.S. Rehab, a division of VGM & Associates, which supports the FMA/UDS Registry. 

Background: 

The study was developed under a corporate research agreement between Pitt and VGM and funded as a sub-award through the Learning Health Systems Rehabilitation Research Network. LeaRRn is supported by the National Institutes of Health through the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute of Nursing Research, and by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.