Outcome measures

Draft — clinical review required

Choose a measure by the clinical question, administer it consistently and interpret it with care.

How fast does the person walk?

10-Meter Walk TestWalking speed over a short distance.

How far can they walk?

6-Minute Walk TestDistance walked in six minutes — a measure of walking endurance and submaximal capacity.
2-Minute Walk TestDistance walked in two minutes — a shorter endurance-related walking measure.

How do they manage functional mobility?

Timed Up and GoTime to stand, walk a short distance, turn, return and sit — a functional mobility measure.

How well do they adapt walking to challenging tasks?

How much assistance do they need?

Functional Ambulation CategoriesA category scale of how much physical help or supervision a person needs to walk.

Related: how is their balance? (not a direct gait measure)

Berg Balance Scale (related balance measure)A balance measure — not a direct gait measure — rating static and dynamic balance tasks.

Which measure would you choose?

You want to know if a person after stroke walks fast enough to cross a street.

Which measure would you choose?

A person with dizziness struggles when turning the head while walking.

Which measure would you choose?

You want to track endurance in a cardiac rehabilitation programme.