4-Meter Gait Speed Test in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: INTERRATER RELIABILITY USING A STOPWATCH

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Biomechanical Analysis
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• 4-meter gait speed (4MGS) is a key functional performance indicator for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients.
• Technical standardization for 4MGS is lacking in current literature.
• Reliable measurement tools are crucial for accurate patient assessment and monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare stopwatch and video recording for 4MGS timing in COPD patients.
• To evaluate interrater reliability between stopwatch and video timing methods.
• To verify interrater reliability of manual stopwatch timing by two observers.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-one COPD patients performed 4MGS under four protocols (usual/maximum speed, 4m/8m course).
• Gait speed was simultaneously measured using a stopwatch and video recording.
• A subanalysis involved two observers timing 4MGS with a stopwatch.

Main Results:

• No significant difference was found between stopwatch and video timing methods for 4MGS.
• Excellent reliability (ICC ≥ 0.91) was observed between video and stopwatch timing.
• Excellent reliability (ICC ≥ 0.94) was found between two independent observers using a stopwatch.

Conclusions:

• The stopwatch is a reliable and feasible low-cost tool for 4MGS timing in COPD patients.
• Both stopwatch and video recording provide reliable 4MGS measurements.
• Manual stopwatch timing by trained observers is highly reliable.