Balance and Gait Impairment Sensor-based assessment for patients with peripheral neuropathy

BACKGROUND: Individuals with peripheral neuropathy (PN) frequently experience balance and gait impairments that can lead to poor physical function, falls, and injury. Nurses are aware that patients with cancer experience balance and gait impairments but are unsure of optimal assessment and management strategies. OBJECTIVES: This article reviews options for balance and gait assessment for patients diagnosed with cancer experiencing PN, describes advantages and limitations of the various options, and highlights innovative, clinically feasible technologies to improve clinical assessment and management. METHODS:The literature was reviewed to identify and assess the gold standard quantitative measures for assessing balance and gait. FINDINGS: Gold standard quantitative measures are burdensome for patients and not often used in clinical practice. Sensor-based technologies improve balance and gait assessment options by calculating precise impairment measures during performance of simple clinical tests at the point of care.