New Podcast: Why Consumers Need Power Base Choices

• By Laurie Watanabe
• Mar 11, 2021

With mid-wheel-drive power wheelchair bases so justifiably admired for their maneuvering abilities in tight spaces, is there still a place for front- and rear-wheel-drive power bases?

That’s one of the major questions asked in Mobility Management’s latest podcast, “Power Bases & the Importance of Consumer Choice.” Joining Editor Laurie Watanabe on the podcast were Angie Kiger, M.Ed, CTRS, ATP/SMS, Clinical Strategy and Education Manager for Sunrise Medical United States, and Jeff Rogers, Director of Power Product Management for Sunrise Medical United States.

In addressing the need for consumer power base choices, Rogers said, “We understand that one idea or one product isn’t going to work for everyone. To start a project, we’re going to go after one or two [goals], but overall, we see a balanced portfolio of products is what gains us success.”

Kiger talked about the value of understanding what clients go through, of “coming up with a way of knowing them to the very best of your ability within 45 minutes to an hour, which is pretty difficult.” She added, “I have been known to ask people, ‘If you could have those brothers from HGTV come into your house and change one or two things about it, what would it be?’ People know where they have difficulty maneuvering or being functional.”

“My job is to really listen to the customer,” Rogers said, in explaining his product development goals. “We can’t build a wheelchair that only works indoors. The demands on these chairs is so much more.”

Kiger and Rogers also talk about how power chair suspension can improve consumer outcomes, and why consumers must stay at the center of the decision-making process.

As Rogers said, “It’s seeing the impact of the product that really judges its success.”

Listen to the latest podcast or check out Mobility Management’s entire podcast library.