After 6 months to a year of your new treatment plan, you’ll likely have another 6-minute walk test to see if therapy, exercise, medication, and any other treatments have been effective. Questions for your doctor or healthcare professional It’s common to have questions about the 6-minute walk test for COPD.
Full Answer
Does Medicare cover the cost of a walker?
There are three main eligibility requirements that must be met for Medicare to cover the cost of a walker: 1. The walker must be considered medically necessary Your healthcare provider or must be satisfied that a walker is medically necessary to treat an illness, condition, injury, or disease that you suffer from.
Is the 6 minute walk an appropriate exercise test in elderly patients?
Cardiologia 1997 ;42: 897 –902. 26. Peeters P, Mets T. The 6 minute walk as an appropriate exercise test in elderly patients with chronic heart failure. J Gerontol 1996 ;51A: M147 –M151.
How often do I get Medicare wellness visits?
If you’ve had Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) for longer than 12 months, you can get a yearly “Wellness” visit once every 12 months to develop or update a personalized prevention plan. Your provider may also perform a cognitive impairment assessment.
How far can you walk in a 6 minute walk test?
In this low complexity, safe test, the patient is asked to walk as far as possible along a 30-m minimally trafficked corridor for a period of 6 min with the primary outcome measure being the 6-min walk distance (6MWD) measured in meters.
What is the desaturation area?
What is 6MWD used for?
How many tests should be performed for COPD?
What is a 6 min walk test?
How long should a 6MWT track be?
How to express change over time in 6MWD?
When was the 6MWT published?
See more
About this website
How often will Medicare pay for a new walker?
Medicare will also pay to replace your walker if it's lost or stolen, and for repair or replacement if it's worn out or broken. Typically, a walker will last two to three years, so if you have one long-term, you may eventually need a repair.
Will Medicare pay for a walker every year?
Q: Will Medicare cover the cost of wheelchairs and walkers? A: Yes. Medicare Part B covers a portion of the cost for medically-necessary wheelchairs, walkers and other in-home medical equipment.
What is the 100 day rule for Medicare?
Medicare pays for post care for 100 days per hospital case (stay). You must be ADMITTED into the hospital and stay for three midnights to qualify for the 100 days of paid insurance. Medicare pays 100% of the bill for the first 20 days.
What is the 60 day rule for Medicare?
A benefit period begins the day you are admitted to a hospital as an inpatient, or to a SNF, and ends the day you have been out of the hospital or SNF for 60 days in a row. After you meet your deductible, Original Medicare pays in full for days 1 to 60 that you are in a hospital.
How often does Medicare pay for a rollator?
Medicare will pay for you to have a new walker with seat every five years.
What type of walker Will Medicare pay for?
Medicare will cover rollators as long as they're considered medically necessary, they're prescribed by a doctor and the doctor and supplier both accept Medicare assignment. Rollators are considered to be durable medical equipment just like walkers.
How often do Medicare days reset?
The annual deductible will reset each January 1st. How long is each benefit period for Medicare? Each benefit period for Part A starts the day you are hospitalized and ends when you are out for 60 days consecutively.
When Medicare runs out what happens?
For days 21–100, Medicare pays all but a daily coinsurance for covered services. You pay a daily coinsurance. For days beyond 100, Medicare pays nothing. You pay the full cost for covered services.
Can Medicare benefits be exhausted?
In general, there's no upper dollar limit on Medicare benefits. As long as you're using medical services that Medicare covers—and provided that they're medically necessary—you can continue to use as many as you need, regardless of how much they cost, in any given year or over the rest of your lifetime.
What service would prevent the 60 day wellness period count?
An emergency room visit without an admission to the hospital will not interrupt the 60-day spell of wellness count.
How Long Will Medicare pay for home health care?
To be covered, the services must be ordered by a doctor, and one of the more than 11,000 home health agencies nationwide that Medicare has certified must provide the care. Under these circumstances, Medicare can pay the full cost of home health care for up to 60 days at a time.
How many lifetime reserve days does Medicare cover?
60 daysOriginal Medicare covers up to 90 days of inpatient hospital care each benefit period. You also have an additional 60 days of coverage, called lifetime reserve days. These 60 days can be used only once, and you will pay a coinsurance for each one ($778 per day in 2022).
Six Minute Walk Test Instructions and Tracking Sheet
Six Minute Walk Test Instructions and Tracking Sheet . 4. Instruct the patient as follows: "The object of this test is to walk as far as possible for 6 minutes.
The 6-minute walk test: normal values for children of 4-11 years of age
Objective: The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is an established measure of exercise capacity in adults and children with chronic cardiac or respiratory disease. Despite its widespread use, there are no normal values for healthy children under 12 years of age. We aimed to provide normal values for children between 4 and 11 years.
Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT) instructions - Heart Online
Source: www.heartonline.org.au/resources Reviewed 11/2014 2 Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT) instructions continued... 4. At the end of the test: Record the total distance ...
What is a 6 min walk test?
The 6-min walk test (6MWT) is a commonly used test for the objective assessment of functional exercise capacity for the management of patients with moderate-to-severe pulmonary disease. Unlike pulmonary function testing, the 6MWT captures the often coexisting extrapulmonary manifestations of chronic respiratory disease, including cardiovascular disease, frailty, sarcopenia, and cancer. In contrast with cardiopulmonary exercise stress testing, this test does not require complex equipment or technical expertise. In this low complexity, safe test, the patient is asked to walk as far as possible along a 30-m minimally trafficked corridor for a period of 6 min with the primary outcome measure being the 6-min walk distance (6MWD) measured in meters. There has been interest in other derived indexes, such as distance-desaturation product (the product of nadir oxygen saturation and walk distance), which in small studies has been predictive of morbidity and mortality in certain chronic respiratory conditions. Special attention to methodology is required to produce reliable and reproducible results. Factors that can affect walk distance include track layout (continuous vs straight), track length, oxygen amount and portability, learning effect, and verbal encouragement. The absolute 6MWD and change in 6MWD are predictive of morbidity and mortality in patients with COPD, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and patients awaiting lung transplant, highlighting its use in management decisions and clinical trials. As of January 2018, Current Procedural Terminology code 94620 (simple pulmonary stress test) has been deleted and replaced by two new codes, 94617 and 94618. Code 94617 includes exercise test for bronchospasm including pre- and postspirometry, ECG recordings, and pulse oximetry. Code 94618, pulmonary stress testing (eg, 6MWT), includes the measurement of heart rate, oximetry, and oxygen titration when performed. If 94620 is billed after January 2018 it will not be reimbursed.
What factors affect walk distance?
Factors that can affect walk distance include track layout (continuous vs straight), track length, oxygen amount and portability, learning effect, and verbal encouragement.
What is a 6MWT?
The 6MWT is a practical simple test that requires a 100-ft hallway but no exercise equipment or advanced training for technicians. Walking is an activity performed daily by all but the most severely impaired patients. This test measures the distance that a patient can quickly walk on a flat, hard surface in a period of 6 minutes (the 6MWD). It evaluates the global and integrated responses of all the systems involved during exercise, including the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems, systemic circulation, peripheral circulation, blood, neuromuscular units, and muscle metabolism. It does not provide specific information on the function of each of the different organs and systems involved in exercise or the mechanism of exercise limitation, as is possible with maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing. The self-paced 6MWT assesses the submaximal level of functional capacity. Most patients do not achieve maximal exercise capacity during the 6MWT; instead, they choose their own intensity of exercise and are allowed to stop and rest during the test. However, because most activities of daily living are performed at submaximal levels of exertion, the 6MWD may better reflect the functional exercise level for daily physical activities.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of shuttle walking test?
An advantage of the shuttle walking test is that it has a better correlation with peak oxygen uptake than the 6MWD ( 46, 47 ). Disadvantages include less validation, less widespread use, and more potential for cardiovascular problems.
What is shuttle walking test?
The shuttle-walking test is similar to the 6MWT, but it uses an audio signal from a tape cassette to direct the walking pace of the patient back and forth on a 10-m course ( 43 – 45 ). The walking speed is increased every minute, and the test ends when the patient cannot reach the turnaround point within the required time. The exercise performed is similar to a symptom-limited, maximal, incremental treadmill test. An advantage of the shuttle walking test is that it has a better correlation with peak oxygen uptake than the 6MWD ( 46, 47 ). Disadvantages include less validation, less widespread use, and more potential for cardiovascular problems.
What is the strongest indication for the 6MWT?
The strongest indication for the 6MWT is for measuring the response to medical interventions in patients with moderate to severe heart or lung disease. The 6MWT has also been used as a one-time measure of functional status of patients, as well as a predictor of morbidity and mortality ( see Table 1
How long is the 6MWT?
If the weather is comfortable, the test may be performed outdoors. The walking course must be 30 m in length. A 100-ft hallway is, therefore, required.
How to assess functional capacity?
In the early 1960s, Balke developed a simple test to evaluate the functional capacity by measuring the distance walked during a defined period of time ( 5 ). A 12-minute field performance test was then developed to evaluate the level of physical fitness of healthy individuals ( 6 ). The walking test was also adapted to assess disability in patients with chronic bronchitis ( 7 ). In an attempt to accommodate patients with respiratory disease for whom walking 12 minutes was too exhausting, a 6-minute walk was found to perform as well as the 12-minute walk ( 8 ). A recent review of functional walking tests concluded that “the 6MWT is easy to administer, better tolerated, and more reflective of activities of daily living than the other walk tests” ( 9 ).
How long to set lap counter?
Set the lap counter to zero and the timer to 6 minutes. Assemble all necessary equipment (lap counter, timer, clipboard, Borg Scale, worksheet) and move to the starting point.
Why do we need 6 MWT?
The main indication for performing a 6 MWT in a patient with cardiopulmonary disease is to measure response to medical or surgical intervention. It is also used to measure functional status and evaluate prognosis in various medical and surgical conditions. Some authors have compared it to a “biomarker” that can be used as a surrogate endpoint.
What is the 6 MWT?
The 6 MWT provides information regarding functional capacity, response to therapy and prognosis across a broad range of chronic cardiopulmonary conditions. Main strengths of the 6 MWT stem from its simplicity in concept and performance, low cost, ease of standardization, and acceptance by test subjects, including those who are deconditioned, elderly, or frail.
How much does treadmill training increase MWD?
Six MWD at baseline was also shown to predict mobility loss in PAD patients. Supervised treadmill training increased 6 MWD in PAD patients by 35.9 m (95% CI; 15.3-56.5 m), whereas resistance training increased the 6 MWD by 12.4 m (95% CI; −8.42 to 33.3 m) when compared to a control group.
What is a 6 minute walk?
The 6-min walk test (6 MWT) is a submaximal exercise test that entails measurement of distance walked over a span of 6 minutes. The 6-minute walk distance (6 MWD) provides a measure for integrated global response of multiple cardiopulmonary and musculoskeletal systems involved in exercise.
How far should a doctor take a ATS test?
The physician ordering the test may decide if a physician should supervise the test. According to ATS guidelines, a 30 m distance course is recommended. Turnaround points should be identified. Three-meter interval measurements are marked with colored tape on the floor.
What scale should be used for dyspnea?
4. Before the test starts, the patient should stand up and rate his/her dyspnea and fatigue. The Borg scale may be used for this.
Is pulse oximetry routine?
2. The 2002 ATS guidelines do not recommend routine measurement of pulse oximetry during the test. In untreated patients with pulmonary hypertension, oxygen desaturation >10% during 6 MWT has been associated with mortality. With the widespread availability of light-weight portable oximeters, monitoring of oxygen saturation during walking can be reliably performed.
Why use 6MWT?
A 2019 article notes that doctors can use 6MWT scores to predict the severity of lung conditions or the likelihood that they will be fatal. A 2019 review suggests that the 6MWT can also provide reliable information on the everyday functional ability and outlook of individuals with heart failure.
What is 6MWT test?
Definition of 6MWT. The 6MWT is an assessment to measure the distance a person is capable of walking on a flat, hard surface in 6 minutes. It is a useful test to measure the response of all the bodily systems that a person uses while exercising. These include the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, blood circulation, and muscle movement.
What is COPD in medical terms?
For example, doctors commonly use it to assess individuals with heart or lung conditions such as: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): COPD is an umbrella term for conditions involving airway obstruction, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Why do doctors use a heart test?
Not only is the test a way to measure the general health of an individual, but a doctor can also use it to monitor the effectiveness of the current treatment plan and see whether it is improving a person’s condition. For example, doctors commonly use it to assess individuals with heart or lung conditions such as:
What is a 6 minute walk test?
Summary. The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is an assessment that a doctor may use to determine a person’s exercise tolerance. It is a low risk test that measures how far a person can walk in 6 minutes. It may be useful for measuring the functional ability and fitness of people with certain health conditions. The 6MWT is an easy, simple, safe, and ...
What is the purpose of a heart test?
Although the original purpose of the test was to assess people with heart and lung conditions, doctors can use it to measure exercise capacity in older adults and children with other conditions, such as stroke, rheumatic conditions, and neurological conditions.
Why is a doctor's test important?
Due to this, the test can be useful for evaluating the effectiveness of treatments and may help a doctor decide on the best time to plan surgery or other forms of treatment .
What is a personalized prevention plan?
The personalized prevention plan is designed to help prevent disease and disability based on your current health and risk factors.
How often do you get a wellness visit?
for longer than 12 months, you can get a yearly “Wellness” visit once every 12 months to develop or update a personalized prevention plan to help prevent disease and disability, based on your current health and risk factors.
What happens if you have a prescription for opioids?
If you have a current prescription for opioids, your provider will perform services during your visit.
Does Medicare cover cognitive impairment?
If your provider thinks you may have cognitive impairment, Medicare covers a separate visit to do a more thorough review of your cognitive function and check for conditions like dementia, depression , anxiety, or delirium.
What are the measurements of a person?
Height, weight, blood pressure, and other routine measurements.
Do you have to pay coinsurance for a Part B visit?
You pay nothing for this visit if your doctor or other qualified health care provider accepts Assignment. The Part B deductible doesn’t apply. However, you may have to pay coinsurance, and the Part B deductible may apply if: Your doctor or other health care provider performs additional tests or services during the same visit.
What is a rollator walker?
A walker with a seat has wheels too and is known as a rollator . There are several types of rollators, so you will want to choose one that is specific to your needs. A walker isn’t as easy to move as a rollator, because you have to pick it up to move it, but they are more stable since all four legs stay on the floor.
What is a walker?
Walkers are reliable mobility aids for those who need assistance with moving but don’t want to go for a wheelchair. They are a great tool for anyone that wants to maintain better balance or stability while walking, most commonly used by the elderly. However, like most mobility aids walkers don’t typically come cheap, which might lead one to ask: ...
Is a knee scooter dangerous?
Whilst knee scooters are easy to use, they can be more dangerous than other types of walkers and you don’t want to have to make another Medicare claim for injury! Make sure you read any operating manual and get a good understanding of how the brakes function.
Is a knee walker covered by Medicare?
So, if you meet the criteria for a standard walker, but are unable to use one due to other impairments, a knee walker should be covered under Medicare.
Is a rollator better than a walker?
If you have issues with balance, a walker might be a better choice for you. However, if you have no problem with balance, but need to sit down often or need to carry an oxygen tank with you, a rollator can be a great option – especially for those with upper-body weakness!
Does Medicare pay for a walker?
Generally, yes , Medicare will pay for a walker. This is because Medicare Part B classifies mobility walkers as “Durable Medical Equipment”, so as long as you meet certain eligibility requirements Medicare will typically reimburse you for the purchase of a walker.
Who is Margaret Sellars?
Margaret Sellars. Occupational Therapist Margaret Sellars contributes to Mobility Deck as an expert on mobility products like wheelchairs, scooters, and walkers. Newly retired, Margaret spends her spare time doing freelance writing from the comfort of her home in Maine.
What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is a form of therapy where your whole body gets exposed to oxygen through increased atmospheric pressure. The oxygen distributes through a chamber. Medicare usually includes coverage for this therapy.
How to get oxygen for Medicare?
For Medicare to cover oxygen equipment and supplies, beneficiaries must have the following: 1 Have a prescription from your doctor 2 Have documentation from your doctor showing you have a lung disorder preventing you from receiving enough oxygen and that other measures have not been successful in improving your condition 3 Proof of gas levels in your blood from your doctor
How much does canned oxygen cost?
Typically, canned oxygen with a concentration of around 95%, runs at about $50 per unit. Canned oxygen could be costly if you were to rely on the constant use of an oxygen machine. Costs could quickly escalate to more than $1,160 per day and more than $426,000 per year!
How long does DME have to supply oxygen?
Your rental payments will be paid up to 3 years. After that, the supplier will still own the equipment. However, they must still supply oxygen to you for an additional 24 months.
How often does Part B cover oxygen concentrators?
If you use an oxygen concentrator, your Part B benefits will cover the cost of servicing your equipment every 6 months once the 36-month rental window has ended.
Does Medicare Supplement cover coinsurance?
Yes, supplement plans help cover the 20% coinsurance that Medicare doesn’t cover. It also covers other cost-sharing in the form of deductibles Choosing Medigap means you choose peace of mind. For those wanting to protect retirement savings, a Medicare Supplement plan will do just that.
Does Medicare cover oxygen therapy?
Oxygen therapy can serve as a source of relief for those with severe asthma, COPD, emphysema, or other respiratory diseases. Medicare covers oxygen therapy in a hospital or at home when you meet specific criteria.
What is the desaturation area?
A more complex and less widely used index, the desaturation area, defined as the total area above the curve between Spo2observed at every minute during the 6MWT and 100% has been studied in patients with IPF, showing an increased hazard ratio (HR) for mortality for every 10-point increase in the desaturation area.18,31
What is 6MWD used for?
Changes in 6MWD and other derived measurements can be used to determine treatment response and predict morbidity and mortality in chronic respiratory diseases.10Relative and absolute contraindications and the specific indications for 6MWT are outlined in Table 1.
How many tests should be performed for COPD?
Two tests should be performed given the learning effect. The most robust data originate from patients with COPD; however, limited data in other respiratory diseases suggest the same.25,26The largest retrospective observational study including 1,514 patients with COPD performing the 6MWT on subsequent days found an average increase in 6MWD of 27 m, with most experiencing an improvement on the second walk.27Performing tests on subsequent days is not practical in clinical settings. A suggested best of two approach may balance underperformance on the initial test in those lacking familiarity and underperformance on the subsequent test from fatigue.28
What is a 6 min walk test?
The 6-min walk test (6MWT) is a commonly used test for the objective assessment of functional exercise capacity for the management of patients with moderate-to-severe pulmonary disease. Unlike pulmonary function testing, the 6MWT captures the often coexisting extrapulmonary manifestations of chronic respiratory disease, including cardiovascular disease, frailty, sarcopenia, and cancer. In contrast with cardiopulmonary exercise stress testing, this test does not require complex equipment or technical expertise. In this low complexity, safe test, the patient is asked to walk as far as possible along a 30-m minimally trafficked corridor for a period of 6 min with the primary outcome measure being the 6-min walk distance (6MWD) measured in meters. There has been interest in other derived indexes, such as distance-desaturation product (the product of nadir oxygen saturation and walk distance), which in small studies has been predictive of morbidity and mortality in certain chronic respiratory conditions. Special attention to methodology is required to produce reliable and reproducible results. Factors that can affect walk distance include track layout (continuous vs straight), track length, oxygen amount and portability, learning effect, and verbal encouragement. The absolute 6MWD and change in 6MWD are predictive of morbidity and mortality in patients with COPD, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and patients awaiting lung transplant, highlighting its use in management decisions and clinical trials. As of January 2018, Current Procedural Terminology code 94620 (simple pulmonary stress test) has been deleted and replaced by two new codes, 94617 and 94618. Code 94617 includes exercise test for bronchospasm including pre- and postspirometry, ECG recordings, and pulse oximetry. Code 94618, pulmonary stress testing (eg, 6MWT), includes the measurement of heart rate, oximetry, and oxygen titration when performed. If 94620 is billed after January 2018 it will not be reimbursed.
How long should a 6MWT track be?
The test should be performed in a minimally trafficked area along a flat, straight corridor ideally ≥ 30 m in length to be consistent with established reference equations.11There are reference equations for shorter tracks, including 20 m12and 10 m13to reflect space limitations in practice.14Both track length and layout affect walk distance. For example, in a crossover study of patients with COPD, a track length of 30 m resulted in significantly greater walk distance in comparison with 10 m.15Continuous tracks in either square, circular, or oval layouts resulted in greater walk distances,16,17reflecting the time required to make abrupt turns.18Treadmills offer the advantage of compact space requirements and easy continuous monitoring, but unfamiliarity with the machinery can lead to significantly lower walk distance.19,20Table 2provides a summary of procedural guidelines.10,11,15,18,21, 22, 23
How to express change over time in 6MWD?
Change over time in 6MWD can be expressed as absolute difference in meters, percentage change, or change in percent predicted. See Table 3for details.11,34,35
When was the 6MWT published?
The American Thoracic Society (ATS) published guidelines11for the 6MWT in 2002 with a subsequent joint European Respiratory Society and ATS updated systematic review18and technical standard10in 2014. A brief summary is outlined here.
Contraindications
- Contraindications Absolute contraindications for the 6MWT include the following: unstable angina during the previous month and myocardial infarction during the previous month. Relative contraindications include a resting heart rate of more than 120, a systolic blood pressure of more than 180 mm Hg, and a diastolic blood pressure of more than 100 mm Hg. Patients with any of t…
Scope
- This statement provides practical guidelines for the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). Specifically, it reviews indications, details factors that influence results, presents a brief step-by-step protocol, outlines safety measures, describes proper patient preparation and procedures, and offers guidelines for clinical interpretation of results. These recommendations are not intended to limi…
Assessment
- There are several modalities available for the objective evaluation of functional exercise capacity. Some provide a very complete assessment of all systems involved in exercise performance (high tech), whereas others provide basic information but are low tech and are simpler to perform. The modality used should be chosen based on the clinical question to be addressed and on availabl…
Definition
- The 6MWT is a practical simple test that requires a 100-ft hallway but no exercise equipment or advanced training for technicians. Walking is an activity performed daily by all but the most severely impaired patients. This test measures the distance that a patient can quickly walk on a flat, hard surface in a period of 6 minutes (the 6MWD). It eval...
Uses
- The strongest indication for the 6MWT is for measuring the response to medical interventions in patients with moderate to severe heart or lung disease. The 6MWT has also been used as a one-time measure of functional status of patients, as well as a predictor of morbidity and mortality (see Table 1 The rationale for measuring oxygen saturation is that although the distance is the p…
Advantages
- In some clinical situations, the 6MWT provides information that may be a better index of the patient's ability to perform daily activities than is peak oxygen uptake; for example, 6MWD correlates better with formal measures of quality of life (37). Changes in 6MWD after therapeutic interventions correlate with subjective improvement in dyspnea (38, 39). The reproducibility of t…
Operation
- The shuttle-walking test is similar to the 6MWT, but it uses an audio signal from a tape cassette to direct the walking pace of the patient back and forth on a 10-m course (4345). The walking speed is increased every minute, and the test ends when the patient cannot reach the turnaround point within the required time. The exercise performed is similar to a symptom-limited, maximal, incre…
Symptoms
- Reasons for immediately stopping a 6MWT include the following: (1) chest pain, (2) intolerable dyspnea, (3) leg cramps, (4) staggering, (5) diaphoresis, and (6) pale or ashen appearance.
Example
- After the first minute, tell the patient the following (in even tones): You are doing well. You have 5 minutes to go. When the timer shows 4 minutes remaining, tell the patient the following: Keep up the good work. You have 4 minutes to go. When the timer shows 3 minutes remaining, tell the patient the following: You are doing well. You are halfway done. When the timer shows 2 minute…
Results
- Most 6MWTs will be done before and after intervention, and the primary question to be answered after both tests have been completed is whether the patient has experienced a clinically significant improvement. With a good quality-assurance program, with patients tested by the same technician, and after one or two practice tests, short-term reproducibility of the 6MWD is e…
Specifications
- APPENDIXThe following elements should be present on the 6MWT worksheet and report:Lap counter: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Patient name: ____________________ Patient ID# ___________ Walk # ______ Tech ID: _________ Date: __________ Gender: M F Age: ____ Race: ____ Height: ___ft ____in, ____ meters Weight: ______ lbs, _____kg Blood pressure: _____ / _____ Medicati…
General Description of Procedure, Equipment, Technique
- The 6-min walk test (6 MWT) is a submaximal exercise test that entails measurement of distance walked over a span of 6 minutes. The 6-minute walk distance (6 MWD) provides a measure for integrated global response of multiple cardiopulmonary and musculoskeletal systems involved in exercise. The 6 MWT provides information regarding functional capacit...
Indications and Patient Selection
- The main indication for performing a 6 MWT in a patient with cardiopulmonary disease is to measure response to medical or surgical intervention. It is also used to measure functional status and evaluate prognosis in various medical and surgical conditions. Some authors have compared it to a “biomarker” that can be used as a surrogate endpoint. Common conditions where 6 MWT …
Contraindications
- The only absolute contraindication is patient refusal to do the test for any reason. Any person at an increased risk for arrhythmia, cardiovascular collapse, or respiratory distress with walking at a usual pace may be at an increased risk for an adverse event during the 6 MWT. We think that the ATS guidelines are very conservative in their recommendation that anyone who has had a myoc…
Details of How The Procedure Is Performed
- In 2002, the American Thoracic Society (ATS) published guidelines on how to perform the 6 MWT. This guideline stressed the need for a standardized protocol to perform the 6 MWT to minimize variation in results. Details in this text on how to perform the 6 MWT are adapted from the ATS guidelines, but other standardized protocols are available. For a commonly used reference, plea…
Interpretation of Results
- Interpretation of results is guided by whether the test is used for prognostication, assessment of functional status or therapeutic monitoring. A single value of 6 MWD can be reported as an absolute value or as a percent predicted for age and gender. For prognostication, 6 MWD can be compared to published values for the particular disease category. Changes in 6 MWD over time …
Performance Characteristics of The Procedure
- 1.Test-retest reliability Test-retest reliability has been reported as high. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were reported as 0.90 at baseline, 0.88 at 18 weeks, and 0.91 at 43 weeks in a cohort of patients with heart failure. ICC for PAD patients has been >0.90. ICC in cardiac rehabilitation patients has been reported to be as high as 0.97. 2. Validity Moderate to high corre…
Alternative and/or Additional Procedures to Consider
- The 6 MWT does not provide measurement of Vo2 max (although there is moderate correlation between 6 MWD and Vo2max), nor does it provide information on the mechanism of exercise limitation or dyspnea. Prior to description and widespread application of the 6 MWT, a 12-minute walk/run test was described. Its use in clinical studies was limited by the inability of most patien…
Complications and Their Management
- When performed appropriately, the complication rate with the 6 MWT is very low as patients determine their own pace during the test. Large scale studies have confirmed this. The test should be terminated if a patient complains of excessive fatigue, angina, or light-headedness during the test. A supervisor can also stop the test if collapse appears imminent. If a test is term…
ATS Guidelines on 6 MWT
- “ATS statement: guidelines for the six-minute walk test”. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. vol. 166. 2002. pp. 111-7.
Widely Referenced 6 MWT Protocol
- Guyatt, GH, Sullivan, MJ, Thompson, PJ. “The 6-minute walk: a new measure of exercise capacity in patients with chronic heart failure”. Can Med Assoc J. vol. 132. 1985. pp. 919-23.