Is the 6-minute walk test a valid and reliable method for assessing functional ability in a Phase II/III cardiac rehabilitation population?
The 6-minute walk test is a valid, reliable, and accessible tool for assessing functional ability in cardiac rehabilitation, particularly valuable for centers lacking treadmill access.
The 6-minute walk is a valid and reliable method of assessing functional ability in a Phase II/III CR population. A learning effect of 6% was observed over the three walks; however, it is unknown if this learning effect will be retained over time. This test may be particularly valuable to smaller CR centers that want to document functional improvements but do not have access to conventional treadmill tests.
Hamilton et al. (Mon,) studied this question.