Bruce Schatz, lead researcher on the project GaitTrack app says it is
different from other fitness apps, since it uses eight motion
parameters to gather, record, and analyze critical information about a
person’s gait — the overall pattern of a person’s physical movements
while walking.
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
MOVE Multispeciality Physiotherapy Clinic in Basti, Uttar
Pradesh is organizing a Free Stroke Camp with Awareness talks and Street Play
on World Stroke Day with an objective to reach people making them aware about
Stroke, FAST and preventive measures. 
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