Scoping Review of Judgment-Based Measures of Ambulation with Assistive Devices for Children and Youth.
Helene M Dumas, Maria A Fragala-Pinkham, Richard Moed
PMID 32423367WHAT IT FOUND
Existing judgment-based measures for children walking with assistive devices rarely specify the device type or separate walkers from crutches.
This makes it hard to track progress when a child switches devices. Current tools also use vague response scales that do not clearly define difficulty versus assistance.
Key findings
01Only one of the identified measures specifically assessed gait trainer use, while most grouped different assistive devices together.
02None of the measures included all types of devices, surfaces, dual tasks, distances, and environments to represent a comprehensive continuum of easy to hard items for children of all abilities.
03The PEDI-CAT combines walker, cane, and crutches into single items and lacks specific content for children who use a gait trainer.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The review only included studies published in English between 1975 and 2018. The review did not assess the psychometric properties of the identified measures, only their content and structure. The authors excluded orthotics, prosthetics, and seating systems, limiting the scope to aids for locomotion like walkers and canes. The review focused on judgment-based measures, so it did not include direct performance tests of gait speed or distance.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was conducted by physical therapists and a nurse with clinical and research experience in pediatric mobility.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that high scores on general mobility measures like the PEDI-CAT reflect a child's ability to use a specific assistive device. These tools often group device types or allow respondents to choose their method of mobility, so a child may score well while being transported rather than walking with a device.