This article is sponsored by Stealth Products. In this Voices interview, Mobility Management sits down with Gabriel Romero, VP of Sales and Marketing, Stealth Products, to talk about embracing future technology while holding on to the values and experiences of the past. He maps out where we are today in alternative drive controls and offers tips for navigating the complex and ever-evolving rehab space. He also breaks down the key hurdles to assessing and prescribing drive controls, and explains how providers can overcome them.

What life and career experiences do you most draw from, in your role today?

Gabriel Romero: My background in the computer sciences and technology has allowed me to understand our industry through a technology lens. When I started in the industry, I was able to grasp the programming aspects of power chairs because I was already used to the PC world. That really allowed me to put a foot forward in the tech space.

When it comes to alternative drive controls, there are a couple of key factors at play — technological programming and products. It takes time to learn who is using something and why they’re using it. Someone might be fantastic on the tech side and probably can learn the products, but the application of a product takes the most time to understand.

How can providers better understand their audience when assessing clients for driver controls?

Audience assessments and concrete goals are critical to discuss with ATPs and new people coming into the industry. It’s too open to say, “make somebody independent,” because that would be the end goal. It’s more appropriate to understand what goals need to be in place to get there.

Unfortunately, due to time limitations and funding, providers try to do that as quickly as possible, but if the process can be stepped out a little, it gives clients an opportunity to embark on a journey of learning. Additionally, it’s important to avoid over-exhausting individuals with too much information. It’s okay to give them some basic principles and guidance so they can start practicing on their own, but flooding them with information on the driver controls up front can create more challenges in the long run.

After developing an understanding of their audience, how should providers approach driver control assessments?

They need to know the room. 

Providers should understand the audience from a safety standpoint and unpack everything the user can do with the controls in alignment with what they’re trying to achieve in the long run. If third-party caregivers have concerns about transporting the power chair or teaching the user how to operate it properly, for example, providers should address those concerns upfront By focusing on each stakeholder’s concerns, providers can do everything in their power to improve the user experience and give users the highest possible degree of independence. That should always the number one priority as providers approach these assessments.

What needs are driving the demand for alternative driver controls?

Technology is driving everything we do, and everything around us, so it’s unfortunate that our industry hasn’t been the best at adopting the technologies as quickly as others — we’re usually years behind. But there are some benefits to the delayed adoption.

When it comes to technologies like augmented reality and AI, we don’t quite know what the future holds. However, as they are introduced in the mobility management space, users are already comfortable with the idea because of their consumer experiences. The quicker we can draw that connection, the quicker we can reap the benefits of introducing this technology, but there has to be room for error.

We’re always trying to find new ways to make technology easier and more forgiving, whether education sessions in clinics, or virtual formats like webinars. They create an opportunity to show providers and their clients the advancements in our products that simplify the use of new technologies so users can adopt them with relative ease. It’s eye-opening when they get a chance to see it, and it takes the fear out of programming because everyone involved understands what the system is going to do.

How has mobility management, accessibility, and rehab technology evolved in recent years?

I’m starting to see more people excited about autonomous driving as advanced EVs pop up all over the road. Like with the drivers of demand, people are familiar with these new features, and for some, they are expected. I expect these trends to trickle down into our industry, and many providers and users will already be familiar with the technology behind them.

We’re excited about it from a company standpoint to be involved with these new technologies and help drive the rollout, providing insight not only into what has worked, but also what could work even better as the technology empowers us to realize its full potential.

How can providers best prepare for the future of driver controls?

It’s critical that providers are not intimidated to sign up for presentations, actively engage in discussions for their peers, and become involved in what’s happening in the world of driver controls. I talk about our industry: “If they’re doing it here, how can we do it?”

Once we close that gap, it becomes a lot easier to create a better experience for the end user. I understood a long time ago that not everyone is doing alternative drive controls daily, so it’s critical to understand the processes needed when that changes. Having a good process that can be built upon and repeated is key.

Finish this sentence: “In the mobility management space, 2024 will be defined by…”

…understanding where we’re at today. 

I don’t think you can make any critical changes without looking at where you’re at, where things are at today. We know the future’s bright, but in our industry, some gaps are still required. The biggest gap is communication. 2024 will be defined in the way we get information out, hopefully for the better.

Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Stealth Products is a manufacturer of durable medical equipment and specializes in products that improve the users’ lives. We stand on innovation and quality in our products and look forward to a bright future moving forward. To learn more, visit www.stealthproducts.com or contact gabriel@stealthproducts.com.

The Voices Series is a sponsored content program featuring leading executives discussing trends, topics and more shaping their industry in a question-and-answer format. For more information on Voices, please contact sales@agingmedia.com.