How to document an assessment: task, setup and context

Before choosing variables, write down the task and the question you want to answer. A session intended to explore an exercise is different from an assessment intended to follow a person over time. Your record should make that purpose clear.

Describe the population, exercise or test, assessed side and instructions. Give the procedure a name or identifier your colleagues can recognise. If you use an established protocol, keep its original reference with the record.

Note the device, relevant configuration, accessories and position. Include the measurement units and the exact name of each variable you retain. Where your organisation allows it, a setup diagram can complement the written description.

For a new system, ask which variables, ranges, export formats and mounting requirements apply to your chosen configuration. A product category alone does not establish that a specific protocol can be performed.

Record the date, professional, warm-up, repetitions, rest intervals and any issues relevant to the task. Keep the result and its context together so another member of your team can understand the record.

When a condition changes, document the change rather than silently treating both records as identical. Separate the measurement from your interpretation: what the device recorded, what you observed and what you decided are different parts of the session.

Before reviewing two sessions together, check that you can identify the task, setup, units and conditions in each record. If information is missing, document that limitation in your follow-up.

This guide organises records. It does not prescribe a validated testing procedure or thresholds for deciding whether a change is meaningful. Select and interpret an appropriate protocol using evidence relevant to the population and device.