Chapter 10

Have you ever wondered if the prescribed intervention was beneficial for the patient? Was there a change in the patient's gait pattern due to the intervention? These questions can be answered by comparing the patient's gait before and after the intervention. The gait Comparison Chart can be used to compare gait patterns and document changes due to the intervention.

 The purpose of the Gait Comparison Chart is to compare the gait of a patient / client at two different assessment sessions. This form can be used to determine if:

1) An intervention was effective in changing the patient’s gait. (Efficacy of an intervention)

2) The ongoing treatment is having the desired change (Efficacy of ongoing treatment)

3) A change in patient’s condition (e.g. pain) since the previous assessment has changed their gait pattern. 

4) The treatment plan was effective

5) The returning patient’s gait has changed since discharge or after a period of no follow-up or monitoring

The fields of “Patient ID”; “Age” and “Diagnosis” appear at the top of the Chart and can be left blank. The field of “Observed Side” should be completed to note which side was analyzed. The fields of "Previous Assessment Date" and "Current Assessment Date" should be completed to document when the 2 assessments were done. It is strongly recommended to include on the form any walking aid that was used, such as a cane, crutches, etc. 

The table shows 10 different gait parameters that should be compared between the 2 assessments. Each parameter is evaluated on 5 domains, of "Improvement", "No Change", or "Decline". For each parameter, the table provides a hint on what should be considered as "Improvement". A "Decline" is considered to be the opposite of "Improvement". The last row of the table is to document the overall change in the patient's / client's gait. 

NOTE: At the first assessment, the Gait Assessment and Intervention Toolbox (G.A.I.T.) Form should be used. The Comparison Chart should ONLY be used at a subsequent assessment session.