HME News is the monthly business newspaper for home medical equipment providers. This controlled circulation publication reaches 17,100 home medical equipment services providers, including traditional HME dealers & suppliers, hospital- and pharmacy-o
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Mobility hMe news / AUGUsT 2015 / www.hMenews.coM 15 By Tracy Orzel, associate editor DOWNEY, calif. – Wearable technology may sound futuristic, but it's not, says Andy Lin, who recently held a workshop on the topic at RESNA 2015 in Denver in June. Here's what Lin, an ATp and technol- ogy specialist at the Center for Applied Rehabilitation Technology at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, had to say about why assistive and con- sumer devices are merging. HME NEws: How do wearable technolo- gies like Google Glass benefit people with limited mobility? Andy Lin: They mainly provide a way to have instant access to information. I worked with someone who is a paraple- gic so he can only do so much with his hands. If he wanted to answer a call he had to fumble around with his fingers, but with Google Glass, he was able to make calls, check Twitter, text message, email—all those things—using just his voice with some modification. HME NEws: How far along has wearable Andy Lin talks tech 'The differences between assistive devices and consumer devices are shrinking,' says technology specialist Stakeholders say they'll take anything that's moving. "We don't care what the vehicle looks like as long as Congress is good with it," said Seth Johnson, vice president of government affairs for pride Mobility. "We just need to get it resolved." Industry leaders have a long list of initia- tives they'd like to see passed into law, but as priorities go, maintaining the current payment policy for accessories for complex rehab wheelchairs rates high on their "to do" list. "We have two No. 1 priorities," said Bachenheimer. "The 2016 application of bid rates nationwide and this." HME which is seating and mobility, as well as rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology devices. The combined event allows the three organizations and their members to share and learn from each other, and amplify their advocacy initia- tives, organizers say. "We need to inter- mingle more because there is a lot of cross- over in terms of how we approach funding and access issues," said Walker. There are also logis- tical benefts to having one conference instead of two, organizers say. "people have a lot of demands on their time and travel can be diffcult," said Don Clayback, executive director of NCART. "There's a cross section of people who have historically gone to both conferenc- es. Now they only have one to go to one." While NRRTS and NCART typically hold their conference in the spring, Walk- er says the date change won't impact the Capitol Hill visits. "We're good with the date," she said. "It just might be a little hotter in D.C." HME cONFERENcE C o N t I N u E D f R o m p R E v I o u S pA g E ScOOTAROuND C o N t I N u E D f R o m p R E v I o u S pA g E technology come? Lin: It's really on the precipice of a lot of advancement. For people with disabili- ties, it's an untapped market. HME: Are HME companies missing out on an opportunity here? Lin: I think it's definitely something that HME companies should look at. There are platforms that are readily available. For instance, Apple has a software devel- opment kit for their watches, so there are functions that HME companies can look at and build upon, or build things that could work with these devices like controllers and sensors for them. There's definitely an open field for that. HME: Where do you see assistive devices in the next few years? Lin: The differences between assis- tive devices and consumer devices are shrinking. For years, communication devices were made specifically for people who had trouble speaking. However, in the past few years, you see more people with communication needs using ipads or Android tablets rather than these ded- icated devices. HME AccESSORIES C o N t I N u E D f R o m p R E v I o u S pA g E provides rentals for conventions and other large events, began handling repair claims for airlines in 2010 and now contracts with more than 30 air- lines worldwide. "Our company is really focused on trying to improve and expand the opportunities for the traveling public, particularly those who use assistive devices," Renaud said. "We feel very strongly that this is just another step in that direction." HME Don Clayback