Gait assessment among physiotherapists in Ireland

There has been little research into the knowledge of physiotherapists in Ireland regarding gait assessment. This study evaluated the level of experience and training of physiotherapists regarding gait assessment, and how thera pists in the clinical setting assess gait. A questionnaire, based on a similar study in the UK, was distributed to three clinical interest groups of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists. Three hundred and two questionnaires were distributed and 185 completed questionnaires were returned (response rate of 61%). Management of gait constituted a major aspect of physiotherapy practice with most respondents (86%) treating patients with gait disorders. Ninety-three percent of respondents relied on visual observation, and almost half of these used no other method of gait assessment. Thirty-nine percent of respondents referred patients to gait laboratories, and the use of gait laboratories influenced clinical practice. Video images of gait were typically collected without the use of standardised pr~tocols. Although most had received formal training in gait assessment, 94% of clinicians stated a need for more. Gait assessment appears to be an important part of physiotherapy practice, however further training and standardisation of approaches used to analyse gait in the clinical environment may be required