Evaluation of the Usefulness of Adopting Remote, Mobile-based 6MWT Among Hospital Outpatients (the 6-APPnow), Within the Constraints Imposed by the SARS-COV2 Pandemic

The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is a standard method for measuring exercise capacity in patients with cardiopulmonary disease such as pulmonary hypertension (PAH) and measures how far a patient can walk in 6 minutes. The test is usually performed in the hospital, by walking along a hospital corridor. Since the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, there has been a need to minimise patient contact with hospitals and their staff to reduce transmission of the virus. In a previous research project called 6APP, the investigators designed, developed and evaluated a mobile phone app, to allow them to perform the 6MWT in the community. Given the current circumstances, cardiovascular outpatients including patients in the PAH clinic at Oxford University Hospitals are being recommended to use an app derived from that project to provide their 6MWT distance to the clinical team for assessment, in addition to their symptoms and general well-being. This is felt to be more appealing to the patients, and would reduce the time spent in hospital on the day of their outpatient appointment. The investigators plan to measure the usefulness of adopting remote, mobile-based 6MWT among hospital outpatients, within the constraints imposed by the SARS-COV2 pandemic.