Measurement of Mobility
Welcome
Measurement of Mobility has been created for health care professionals who wish to more easily and quickly collect, calculate and interpret objective outcome measures used to determine functional mobility. The initial offering is an app which is used to measure comfortable walking speed.
Apps
The 4 Meter Walk Test app for iOS
In a white paper published in the Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy it was proposed that walking speed be considered to be the sixth vital sign since it is an objective measure that reflects a patient’s functional level. Even though walking speed can be easily measured, requiring only a stopwatch and a space to walk, it is still not widely used in clinical practice. The major hurdle seems to be the time needed to obtain the walk time, calculate the speed and compare the results with normal values. To overcome these issues an app for iOS mobile devices has been developed which allows the clinician to quickly collect the walk times, calculate speed, compare result to norms and to write a comprehensive report about what the results mean functionally. One can then eMail the report to a laptop or desktop computer and customize the report in a word processor, such as Microsoft Word. The protocol for the 4 meter walk test used in the NIHToolbox was selected as the specific test for the app because it does not require much space and has a database of normal values for individuals aged 5 to 85.
Tapping in the green area starts the timer.
Tapping in the red area stops. the timer.
The results screen showing the times for both trials and the speed calculated from fastest trial.
Graph showing the result. Tapping on Report brings up the interpretation of the data. This can then be eMailed.
About Me
James C. Wall, PhD
Professor Emeritus
Department of Phsical Therapy
University of South Alabama
I have taught Biomechanics to student therapists at Dalhousie University in Halifax, NovaScotia as well as the University of South Alabama.. The results of my research have been published in Physiotherapy, Physiotherapy Canada, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, International Journal of Rehabilitation Research, Gait & Posture, Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation, and Clinical Rehabilitation, among others. I was instrumental in starting the journal Gait & Posture
and served for ten years as an Associate Editor. I have been invited to lecture on topics of balance and gait throughout North America and in many parts of the world, including Europe, India, Australia, South Africa and the Middle East.
If you would like more information you may contact me at jamescwallphd@gmail.com
Future Plans
Depending on the successor otherwise of the 4MWT App I plan of converting some other desktop Apps I have written for Laptop computers. These include the STEADI tests developed for the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, the 4 Square Step Test, and some other measures of gait such as stride and step times.