Abstract
There are tools available to diagnose early developmental delay in children, however, there had been no literature that supports the use of any tool by South African Podiatrists. Also no literature on how Podiatrist feel about using such a tool, particularly the Gallop tool There is no literature to support the existence of an effective standardised assessment tool in South Africa that aids the podiatrist in the early diagnosis of developmental delay in the paediatric patient. Podiatrists in South Africa (SA) need a suitable assessment tool to evaluate child development. A potential pro forma that could be used by South African podiatrists is the Gait and Lower Limb Observation of Paediatrics (GALLOP) Assessment Tool. The aim of this research was to evaluate the “ease of use” and “usefulness” of the GALLOP Assessment Tool for podiatrists to effectively assess the paediatric patient. Modifications to the tool were also identified so that the assessment tool could be adapted for use by South African podiatrists. The study was of a mixed methods descriptive design type, targeting all Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) registered podiatrists in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipal area. After allowing the participants to use the GALLOP Assessment Tool for a period of time, a survey was conducted to establish the “ease of use” and “usefulness” of the GALLOP Assessment Tool. All participants agreed that the GALLOP Assessment Tool would be overall beneficial to South African podiatrists and that the assessment tool does not need to be improved. However they did feel strongly that their knowledge regarding neurology and abnormal gait patterns in the paediatric patient needs to be improved upon and in future needs to form a comprehensive part of the BHS Podiatry undergraduate programme. Participants additionally agreed that the GALLOP Assessment Tool should be introduced at undergraduate level.
M.Tech. (Podiatry)