Assessing exercise capacity using telehealth: a feasibility study in adults with cystic fibrosis.

Offering healthcare from a remote site may help patients to access important services. This study aimed to establish the feasibility of monitoring an assessment of exercise capacity using telehealth technology. Adults with CF completed two 3-min step tests, monitored in-person or remotely via videoconferencing, in randomized order. Measurements were physiological responses to exercise, system usability, ease of clinician interaction, metronome acoustics, and participant comfort. Ten adults (5 male), mean ± SD age 32 ± 7 years, and FEV1 55.4% of predicted (range 38-90% of predicted), completed both tests. Participants reported good system usability, with a mean (95% CI) System Usability Scale score of 85.63 out of 100 (79.8-91.5). Metronome acoustics were rated as significantly poorer remotely (P = .006). There weren’t any differences in measurements of oxyhemoglobin saturation or heart rate between assessment settings.   The study found that exercise capacity assessment with the 3-min step test is feasible and accurate via remote videoconferencing in adults with CF.