The status of gait assessment among physiotherapists in the United Kingdom.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate how physiotherapists are trained in and use clinically orientated gait assessment tools and instrumented gait analysis, and to identify if a need exists for a standardized methodology. DESIGN Survey. SETTING UK National Health Service. PARTICIPANTS Physiotherapists working with a variety of patient groups in 210 randomly selected Health Care Trusts. INTERVENTIONS Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Amount of gait assessment training, frequency of gait laboratory use, types and frequency of standardized gait assessment tools used, and expressed need for a gait assessment tool in clinical practice. RESULTS A total of 1826 (43.5%) physiotherapists responded. Management of abnormal gait constituted a major aspect of physiotherapy practice; yet, there was no systematic use of standardized gait assessment tools. Gait video images were typically collected and analyzed without the use of standardized protocols. Only 23.1% of all respondents had a patient assessed in a gait laboratory. Clinicians indicated that they need training in gait assessment (66.4%) and desire guidance at a national level. Exactly 91.8% of physiotherapists requested a new gait assessment tool that can be used easily and quickly within a busy schedule without compromising reliability and validity. CONCLUSIONS Gait assessment plays a pivotal role for physiotherapists managing gait problems. The challenge for developers of gait assessment tools is to find a balance between the practicalities of use and scientific merit.