JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Quantitative gait analysis can support clinical decision-making. These analyses can be performed using wearable sensors, non-wearable sensors, or a combination of both. However, to date, they have not been widely adopted in clinical practice. Technology adoption literature has highlighted that technology effectiveness, a users’ perspective on the technology (e.g., usability) and external barriers and facilitators that exist beyond the clinician (e.g., cost-effectiveness) are some factors that influence their widespread adoption.

Objective:

To assist with the clinical adoption of quantitative gait technologies, this scoping review will synthesize the literature on their clinical efficacy, clinician perspectives, and external barriers and facilitators that impact their use in the clinical care of adult patient populations.

Methods:

This scoping review protocol follows the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews. The review will include both peer-reviewed and gray literature (i.e., conference abstracts) regarding the clinical efficacy of quantitative gait technologies, clinician perspectives, and external barriers and facilitators that influence their use in the clinical care of adult patient populations. A comprehensive search strategy was created in MEDLINE (Ovid) which was then translated to four other databases: CENTRAL (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO) and SPORTDiscus (EBSCO). Two reviewers will independently perform the title and abstract screening, full-text review, and data extraction of relevant articles, with a third reviewer involved to support the resolution of conflicts. Data will be analyzed using content analysis and summarized in tabular and diagram formats.

Results:

This scoping review is ongoing. Results will first highlight the impact of gait technologies on clinical decision making and patient outcomes. Secondly, they will summarize clinician perspectives on barriers and or/facilitators to technology ease of use, usefulness, and other factors impacting their use in practice. Lastly, external barriers and/or facilitators (e.g., technological issues) will also be discussed.

Conclusions:

The findings of this review will be presented at clinical science conferences and published in a peer-reviewed journal. This review will inform future studies designed to develop, evaluate, or implement quantitative gait analysis technologies in clinical practice.