Normal internet speeds allow for feasible teleassessment of gait and gait aids. Nevertheless, the authors of this study do warn that some lower frame rate and bandwidth configurations may limit the reliability of remote cane height assessments. These findings may help increase the reach of rehabilitation care and broaden the scope of services being delivered remotely.
The interrater reliability for the POMA-G was moderate to good across all tested connection settings (0.66-0.77). Both in-person (0.63) and normal speed video assessment (0.74) showed moderate validity.
Regarding cane height assessment, the same range of values were found for interrater reliability, except for lower bandwidths and frame rates, while the validity was good for both in-person (0.80) and normal speed video assessment (0.86).
The teleassessment of gait and cane height therefore seems to be a feasible tool using typically available internet and video quality.
> From: Venkataraman et al., Phys Ther 100 (2020) 708-717 (Epub ahead of print). All rights reserved to Oxford University Press. Click here for the online summary.
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In this time of marked changes to healthcare provision, it is interesting to see that this is a service which may be provided remotely with acceptable quality using typically available resources.
This free full-text article shows how adaptable we must be to the circumstances in order to maintain quality care and patient satisfaction. An interesting read with implications that may reach far beyond the current paradigm of remote care and shape future practice patterns.