Innovation never stops. Science, medicine, engineering, technology and our understanding of the world in general are all in a continuously evolving flux, with new solutions for enriching our quality of life always on the tip of the horizon.
Rehab medicine and assistive devices have come a long way over the last 50 years. Technological advancements have radically inspired today’s sophisticated wheelchairs and seating devices. Deeper insights into body mechanics and how mobility-challenged individuals interact with their environment have transformed the way clinicians offer solutions. Barriers have fallen, the world has become more accessible… and progress continues to march forward.
As new products and approaches are introduced, it’s our responsibility at Kootenay Columbia Home Medical Equipment (KCHME) as rehab equipment providers to keep pace. If there’s a game-changing new wheelchair technology out there that could help our clients, we want to know about it, understand it, and help our clients understand it, too. And we can, thanks in part to the International Registry of Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers (iNRRTS).
Incorporated in 1992, iNRRTS has dedicated itself to helping rehab professionals maintain the highest standards of excellence. Individuals who are registered with iNRRTS and enjoy official RRTS® certification must have a minimum of one year of relevant experience and 1,000 client-facing hours before beginning the certification process. They then must complete a 10-hour course covering medical terminology, feeding and posturing, ethics, business practice, funding and public policy to earn the coveted RRTS® certification to their job title.
“Before iNRRTS, there were no standards for complex rehab,” explains Andrea Madsen, Executive Director with iNRRTS. “Anyone could provide wheelchairs and seating, and we felt it was important to establish a range of standards and give patients a voice. The framework we have developed now gives patients confidence that they will enjoy ethical service delivery from a qualified, principled rehab professional subject to official oversight. Today, patients, caregivers and family members can all enjoy peace of mind in knowing that when they work with an RRTS®-certified professional, they are receiving the highest quality of care.
“There are some things in rehab medicine that aren’t going to change,” Andrea elaborates. “Disease, anatomy and physiology are the constants. But the technology that mobility-challenged individuals have access to with new devices, materials and applications is always changing, and staying up to date with all these new developments, sharing them with our certified professionals and ensuring there is greater understanding is the core of what we do.”
It all starts with quality education which, thanks to technology, can be accessed and enjoyed online. iNRRTS offers a diverse education program which includes live webinars, on-demand webinars and clinical perspective articles. iNRRTS has over 250 published, curated complex rehab technology courses including its most recent CRT Supplier Certificate Program. While iNRRTS makes these courses available at no additional charge to iNRRTS registrants, they are available and widely used by CRT professionals internationally for a small fee.
“One of the greatest things about having my RRTS® certification is that I can go on the iNRRTS website and watch any of the courses on-demand,” offers Ron Spenst, a Rehab Specialist with KCHME. “If I’m faced with a unique patient challenge, I can go online and complete a course. And this isn’t the type of information just anyone can Google and get an answer to; it is information that is not publicly available and only offered to certified Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Physical Therapists (PTs). Thanks to iNRRTS, we can offer greater solutions and provide our clients with the highest quality of care.”
At KCHME, we have three individuals on staff with an RRTS® certification: in addition to Ron, Jocelyn Fast and David Stokes have invested in the iNRRTS program.
If you would like to book a consultation session with any of our RRTS®-certified team members, contact us today. We look forward to sharing the latest rehab technology insights and advice, to ensure you enjoy all the comfort and convenience the latest rehab technologies offer.