Publication Date

8-1-2022

Journal

Transplantation Direct

DOI

10.1097/TXD.0000000000001347

PMID

37077732

PMCID

PMC10109156

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

7-15-2022

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-Print

Published Open-Access

yes

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has limited liver transplant (LT) candidates access to clinics. Telehealth methods to assess frailty are needed. We developed a method to estimate the step length of LT candidates, which would permit remotely obtaining the 6-min walk test (6MWT) distance with a personal activity tracker (PAT).

METHODS: 6MWT was performed while candidates wore a PAT. On first 21 subjects (stride cohort), the step length was measured and compared with calculated one (6MWT-distance/6MWT steps). On a second cohort (PAT-6MWT; n = 116), we collected the 6MWT step count and used multivariable models to generate formulas estimating step length. We multiplied the estimated step length times 6MWT steps to estimate the distance and compared it to the measured distance. The liver frailty index (LFI) and 6MWT were used as frailty metrics.

RESULTS: Measured/calculated step length were highly correlated (ρ = 0.85;

CONCLUSIONS: We created a method to obtain 6MWT distance remotely with the use of a PAT. This novel approach opens the possibility of performing telemedicine PAT-6MWT to monitor LT candidates' frailty status.

txd-8-e1347-g001.jpg (293 kB)
Graphical Abstract

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