Schatz classifies gait as the “sixth vital sign" adding to the important vital health measurements as temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood oxygen level. Gait analysis can provide important information about a patient’s cardiopulmonary, muscular, and neurological health.
Routinely - actually rarely we use "6 min walk test" for checking the cardiovascular status of the client which is not ideal for detecting a new or already existing worsening condition. GaitTrack, developed by University of Illinois converts any cellphone into a sophisticated medical monitor for your heart and lungs.
The GaitTrack app runs constantly in the background of a user’s smartphone and periodically measures, records, and analyze key data related to gait. The app collects data in six minute increments tracking the user’s walking gait and analyzing it. It would then alert the patient or the patient’s doctor if the data ever indicated a dangerous change. It can be an important tool for those with congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma.
The GaitTrack app takes advantage of accelerometers and if coupled with a pulse oximeter, the app can record the gait along with the person’s heart rate and blood oxygenation for a more complete picture of health. The app have been tested in a research on 30 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and found that the app is more accurate, and surely cheaper, than medical accelerometers already used in medicine. They discovered that the GaitTrack app was able to quite accurately predict a person’s FEV1 test (Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 Second).
The app will be publicly available sometime later this year.
Special Implication for PTs -
When we talk about therapy to improve gait, PTs know all the troubles to get effective results. Especially if we are dealing with Cardiopulmonary patients we have to be very precautious. This app will be a boon for PTs as it not only gives the parameters important for gait but also checks for the vitals related to heart as well as lungs which can help us to set the goals.
GaitTrack Smartphone App, a Medical Device for Automatic Gait Assessment