The NEW iWalk Toolkit: An evidence-informed approach to walking assessment post-stroke
Dr. Nancy Salbach, Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto and her multidisciplinary Research Team developed a new toolkit to support walking assessment after stroke. The toolkit is available at: http://www.iwalkassess.com/.
The iWalk Toolkit was designed to promote an evidence-informed approach to using the 10-metre walk test and the 6-minute walk test post-stroke. The toolkit can help you educate your patients about their level of walking ability, set goals relevant to walking in the community and teach your students an evidence-informed approach to using outcome measures.
The toolkit consists of the following components:
iWALK GUIDE: The guide outlines how to conduct tests and interpret performance for education and goal setting. It describes a process for small group learning and includes online resources.
iWALKASSESS APP: Download the FREE App on your iOS or Android devices. The app has test protocols, timing tools and automated calculations that make it easier to apply the evidence-informed approach to using the walk tests.
- Test Protocols – View stroke specific protocols for the 10-metre and 6-minute walk tests
- Timing Tools – Use stopwatch and countdown timers to perform the tests
- Automated Calculations – Instantly compare patient performance with normative and community ambulation values
iWALK VIDEOS: Three videos are available on the Knowledge to Action Lab YouTube channel. One includes educational content and two show a demonstration of the walk tests.
The development of the iWalk Guide was based on systematic reviews of the literature. After 10 international researchers and 18 physical therapists from across Canada reviewed the iWalk Guide, the content was used to develop iWalkAssess. Physical therapists in Ontario and Nova Scotia used the iWalk Toolkit in clinical practice and provided feedback to improve the guide and the app. Dr. Salbach recently presented at the World Stroke Congress in Montreal on “UNDERSTANDING EXPERIENCES USING A TOOLKIT TO IMPLEMENT THE 10-METRE AND 6-MINUTE WALK TESTS POST-STROKE ACROSS THE CARE CONTINUUM: A QUALITATIVE REALIST ANALYSIS”
Please see the Education & Events section on our website for information on a one-hour webinar on the iWalk Toolkit taking place on November 29th at 12:00 PM EST. This webinar will be of interest to clinicians who administer walk tests, interpret test performance, educate patients, and set goals.
For more information:
Nancy Salbach, Associate Professor
Heart and Stroke Foundation Mid-Career Investigator
Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Email: nancy.salbach@utoronto.ca