Use of a Delphi panel to establish consensus for recommended uses of selected balance assessment approaches

The Delphi survey is a useful mechanism to make recommendations for clinical judgments in the absence of practice guidelines for evidence-based decision making. Although there is a great deal of literature about the topic of various methods of balance assessment, decisions about application of research evidence for clinical practice may be subject to personal interpretation and/or biases of the reader. In this study, a panel of informed experts was used through a Delphi process to establish consensus regarding the recommended use of selected balance assessment methods based on the literature. Selective recruitment of experienced faculty members with advanced degrees and/or specialist certification in the content area identified seven knowledgeable informants. The panel participated in three rounds of discussion to develop a consensus-based summary of the recommended use of balance assessment methods commonly used in clinical practice and suggest how those measures fit within the framework of the Patient/Client Management Model of physical therapy practice. The outcomes of the Delphi process form a basis for recommended practice in the examination of patients with balance deficits and serve as a starting point in the development of evidence-based practice guidelines.