Is there any information available about the research that went into the design of this chair, and the specific use cases it applies to? The TMT website makes reference to working with pediatric hospitals, but are there any publications or white papers?
My question stems from wondering how this device fits into the lifecycle of other equipment kids may be eligible for through insurance. For instance, will it be used for 6 months and discarded when a commercial wheelchair option becomes available? Is it a common situation that families have insurance but can’t afford the deductible cost that a commercial device would require? How much do state medical programs contribute to providing mobility devices? Do the TMTs provide unique value as compared to commercially available devices like strollers or toddler bounce rings?
I am eager to participate, but the site doesn’t provide a lot of this type of detail (that I can find).
But I know that I wanted to get my 5-year-old son a wheelchair since he was 4 years old, and the smallest ones available here in Brazil were huge and bulky - terrible for a little kid in an appartment.
So, at least here, it fills a gap for an age range for which there is no fitting size.
By the way, considering how well he did with the 3dTMT since day 1, we bought the smallest commercial one available. It is still pretty big, but it folds and can handle the outdoors well (hopefully).
But guess what? In the meanwhile I have already printed two 3dTMTs and the commercial one hasn’t been delivered yet. Furthermore, after the delivery, there will be additional time needed to adjust it.
First one - All families use this device differently. For some its a stop-gap, for others its a trainer, etc. There is no one way people are using this.
The TMT is provided completely outside of any medical or insurance system. It is VERY common that families get denied altogether for a pediatric wheelchair. Its meant to be a true DIY device. I will say, in terms of value vs strollers/bounce rings, this device was designed by an international team of therapists and is intentionally design for kids to self-propel while having proper support.
Second one - While there are ongoing studies at various institutions around the world. To my knowledge, no one has published any formal studies or white papers.
Thank you for the detailed response! That definitely fills a gap in my understanding. I hope my questions didn’t come across as argumentative or skeptical.
not at all! all really good questions. Hopefully in the next year we will see studies. There are a lot of healthcare groups makign their own TMTs so I am sure that will help
