Assessment of a Self-administered Adapted 6-Minute Walk Test

In Brief PURPOSE This study assessed the reliability and viability of the Home-Heart-Walk (HHW) test, adapting a standardized 6-minute walk test protocol for self-administration. METHODS Twenty-nine volunteers with documented coronary heart disease (CHD) undertook a structured 7-day program using the HHW. RESULTS The intervention was well received by participants. The intraclass correlation coefficient of the test distance over 7 days was 0.98, and the correlations between investigator and participant measures were high (r = 0.99 for day 1 [first test], r = 0.99 for day 1 [second test], and r = 0.99 on day 7). CONCLUSION These data demonstrate the potential of the HHW as a tool to promote and monitor physical activity in community-based settings. These observations require further investigation and testing in other populations. This study tested the viability and reliability of an adapted 6-minute walk test (Home-Heart-Walk [HHW]) in a group of 29 people with coronary heart disease. Study results demonstrated a high reliability, which suggests that the HHW could be a useful tool to promote and monitor physical activity in community-based patients.