A Primary Care Provider’s Guide to Wheelchair Prescription for Persons With Spinal Cord Injury

The wheelchair is a critical tool for people with spinal cord injuries. Matching the wheelchair to their needs maximizes health, function, participation, and quality of life. Primary care physicians are essential in managing the health needs of people with SCI and play a vital role in wheelchair evaluation and prescription. This article gives a broad overview of when a new wheelchair may be needed, describes the prescription process, names team members, reviews components, and gives guidance.

• 1
  Collaboration with a seating specialist (occupational or physical therapist) is critical for prescribing a wheelchair optimized to the patient’s needs and abilities.
• 2
  Medicare requires a “face-to-face encounter” within 45 days of power and 6 months of manual wheelchair prescription.
• 3
  PCPs should aim for a K0005 manual wheelchair to optimize outcomes because K0004 chairs do not have fully adjustable rear axles.