Nursing operation efficiency data prove that the average weight of lightweight electric wheelchair is controlled under 28 kg (26.5 kg for Whill Model C2, for example) compared with the industry median of 85 kg for conventional electric wheelchairs. The force intensity applied by the nursing staff during transportation was reduced by 67% (calculated based on the biomechanical model). In actual scenarios, the time taken to transfer from the bedroom to the living room was compressed from 8 minutes to 3 minutes (Analysis of the 2023 nursing log of the St. Louis Rehabilitation Center), the assembly steps were simplified from 10 steps in the ISO 10528 specification standard to 3 steps, and the operation error rate was reduced from 15% to 4% (Controlled experiment of the Journal of Rehabilitation Engineering). The case of Berlin care institutions in 2022 shows that after adopting the lightweight model, the average daily walking distance of caregivers was reduced by 2.3 kilometers, and the incidence of muscle strain decreased by 52% (European Occupational Health Report HR-2022017).
In terms of economic management benefits, maintenance costs have a significant advantage. The average annual maintenance frequency of electric wheelchair equipment in nursing homes is 1.2 times (Global Equipment Management Database 2024), and the median cost of spare parts replacement is $120, which is only 40% of the traditional model. The charging module supports a quick-disassembly design, extending the battery replacement cycle to 3 years (LG Lithium Battery Technology White Paper), reducing the total holding cost over five years from $4,800 to $2,100 (JAMA Health Economics Research Model). It is worth noting that 90% of care institutions limit their procurement budgets to within $300 per month, and the coverage rate of the lightweight monthly rental plan in the price range of $75- $110 reaches 100% (Brookdale Elderly Care Group Procurement Strategy Document).
Safety risk management indicators show key improvements. Traditional wheelchairs have a risk of overturning on a 15-degree slope during transportation, with a probability of approximately 3.5% (as reported by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTBS) of the United States). However, the lightweight model has a center of gravity design height reduced from 1.2 meters to 0.9 meters, and with the gyroscope dynamic stability system, the overturning probability is compressed to 0.8%. The operation training time for caregivers was reduced from 40 hours to 16 hours (APTA Physiotherapists Association standard), and the emergency braking response speed was accelerated to 0.3 seconds (EN 12184 certification test). At the 2023 Tokyo Welfare Expo, the evacuation time for caregivers using the Swift M1 lightweight model in a simulated fire scenario was reduced by 42%.
Real nursing cases verify the comprehensive benefits. After the Royal Free Hospital in London put into use portable electric wheelchairs in 2021, the average daily number of patients served by the care team increased from 8.3 to 11.7 (a growth rate of 41%), and the demand for auxiliary personnel during patient transfer decreased from 2.1 to 1.3 (annual report on operational data). Feedback from beneficiaries of the NDIS program in Australia indicates that family caregivers have reduced their weekly equipment management time by 15 hours (Social Survey Report NDRC-2022), while the frequency of care interruptions caused by equipment failures has decreased from an average of 1.7 times per month to 0.4 times. Physical therapist Rebecca Tam pointed out in the British Journal of Care: “The lightweight design enables elderly caregivers weighing 75 kilograms to independently complete 95% of the operation procedures, which has completely changed the implementation model of home care.”