The Weighting of the Balance
Condition: Physical Therapy; Survey; Balance; Assessment
MeSH terms: Body Weight
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      Summary Introduction: Falls are involuntary events that cause loss of balance and hit the
      body on the ground or on another firm surface that stops it. 40% of people with various
      neurological disorders fall one or more times, and of all these, 21% suffer a fall-related
      injury. Objective and instrumented gait analysis is an important tool for estimating the risk
      of falls in patients.

      Objective: To describe the protocols used by physical therapist residing in Argentina when
      categorizing a balance problem within the framework of neurorehabilitation, vestibular
      rehabilitation, geriatrics and gerontology. Identify the barriers and facilitators
      self-perceived by physical therapist that make it difficult to weight deficiencies in
      balance.

      Method: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study of the online survey type will
      be carried out. The recommendations given by the Checklist for Reporting of Survey Studies
      will be used. The survey, which was created by the researchers of this study, will consist of
      26 items divided into 4 sections. It will be aimed at all those physical therapist in
      Argentina who are dedicated to neurorehabilitation, vestibular rehabilitation, geriatrics and
      gerontology. The type of sampling used will be non-probabilistic by snowball, which will be
      done online through the SurveyMonkeyTM tool.
    

Detailed description: 
      Materials and method Study design An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study will
      be carried out. For its future report, the recommendations given by the Checklist for
      Reporting of Survey Studies (CROSS) will be used.

      Sample Characteristics All those physical therapist and related degrees dedicated to
      neurorehabilitation/vestibular rehabilitation/geriatrics and gerontology who practice in
      Argentina and who have experience in weighing balance deficiencies in subjects at risk of
      falling will be included. All surveys with missing data will be excluded. The type of
      sampling used will be non-probabilistic by snowball.

      Data collection methods The online type survey which was created by the researchers of this
      study, will be made up of 25 items divided into 4 sections, a restriction will be created in
      each item to prevent respondents from leaving it without answering and those who have met all
      the inclusion criteria will access it.

        -  The first section (respondent characteristics) consists of 10 questions.

        -  The second section (weighting performed by the respondent) is made up of 12 questions.
           Those participants who choose the "no" option in question 11 will go on to the next
           section.

        -  The third section (self-perception of barriers and facilitators at the time of
           weighting) is made up of 2 questions.

        -  The fourth section (learning needs) consists of a question. Within the second section,
           the choice of scales was made based on a previous search in the literature about those
           that are most used, which to date have not been translated or adapted cross-culturally
           into Argentine Spanish, most of them. the same It will be aimed at all those physical
           therapist in Argentina who are dedicated to neurorehabilitation, vestibular
           rehabilitation, geriatrics and gerontology. With this purpose, a pilot test was carried
           out prior to the beginning of the study with the objective of the viability and
           understanding of the survey, it was carried out with 10 experts in the area. They were
           given a sheet with questions aimed at finding out the difficulties they encountered when
           answering the survey in general or with a particular question. Modifications were made
           through consensus among the authors.

      Survey Administration You will be invited to participate in the study by sending the survey
      via email and through social network links (FacebookTM, TwitterTM, InstagramTM, LinkedinTM
      and WhatsappTM). The invitation will be given to specialized groups in the area,
      specialization careers, physical therapy colleges in the country and the Argentine
      association of kinesiology. The invitation will contain the objective of the study and its
      corresponding link to access the survey, which will be online through the SurveyMonkeyTM
      tool.

      The period in which the current link will be maintained will be 2 months or until the
      required sample size is reached. To avoid multiple participation of participants, the same
      tool to be used (SurveyMonkeyTM) prevents double completion when using the same device. In
      addition, a restriction will be applied to each question, thus preventing them from leaving
      unanswered answers.

      Sample size The required sample size will be 400 participants, since the accepted level of
      error will be 5%. In turn, an analysis divided by half of the consistency will be carried
      out, in order to determine if the results obtained are reliable or not.

      Study Preparation Prior to the activation of the survey link, contact will be made throughout
      the previous month in different institutions and experts on the subject, with the aim of
      increasing the degree of knowledge and interest in it at the time of the start of the study.
      Contact will be made through emails and different social networks (FacebookTM, TwitterTM and
      InstagramTM).

      Ethical considerations Given the voluntary and anonymous nature of the study, the signature
      of the informed consent of the participants will not be required, as established by
      resolution 1480/2011. Before accessing the questionnaire, participants will receive an
      information sheet that will include study information, investigator contact information, a
      privacy statement, and a statement regarding voluntary participation. At all times, the
      protection of the identity and data of the study participants will be preserved, in
      accordance with current legal regulations National Law on Protection of Personal Data 25326,
      in accordance with international regulations in accordance with the provisions of the
      Declaration of Helsinki.
    

Intervention name(s): Survey
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): It´s a survey
Observational model: Other
Time perspective: Cross-Sectional
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Physical therapist in Argentina who are dedicated to neurorehabilitation, vestibular
        rehabilitation, geriatrics and gerontology who practice in Argentina
      
Keywords: Physical Therapy; Survey; Balance; Assessment