Wheelchair Repairs: Delays, Causes, and Associated Outcomes

Objective: To examine the length of time to complete wheelchair repairs and the relationship between negative outcomes and the factors that prevented or determined who performed the repairs. Design: Survey, cross-sectional. Setting: Nine spinal cord injury (SCI) Model Systems Centers. Participants: Wheelchair users with SCI reporting at least 1 repair (N=301). Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Prevalence of adverse consequences associated with wheelchair repairs, repairs completed of those needed, and time elapsed before wheelchair repair. Results: Of the participants, 76% reported all necessary repairs were completed, 7% indicated that some repairs were addressed, and 14% reported none of the repairs were completed. The most common reason for incomplete repairs (30%) was the vendor's failure to complete the repair after being contacted. Among the repairs that were successfully completed, 56% were performed by vendors. The median time elapsed before repair was 14 days, with no significant difference observed in the time taken for repairs across different components. The most common consequences were being forced to use a backup wheelchair or being confined at home. A greater percentage of participants experienced each type of consequence, except injury, for repairs completed by vendors. Conclusions: The high percentage of uncompleted wheelchair repairs poses a significant risk to users, and this risk is compounded by prolonged time taken by vendors to address breakdowns. Unsatisfactory vendor service was common, with a significantly larger proportion of participants experiencing consequences for repairs that required a vendor. This seems to indicate structural inadequacies within the repair process and the need for interventions to address these issues.