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The following is a summary of “Relevance of patient-centered actigraphy measures in pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: a qualitative interview study,” published in the December 2024 issue of Pulmonology by Kendrew et al.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) were severe, progressive diseases that impaired physical functioning, with the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) being a traditional measure of exercise capacity, while actigraphy offered a promising complementary tool.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to determine the most meaningful physical functioning concepts to patients with PAH or CTEPH and determine relevant actigraphy variables and appropriate timeframes for their measurement.
They included adults with a confirmed diagnosis of PAH or CTEPH. Participants from the UK and USA were interviewed individually via a web-based platform. The interviewers used a semi-structured discussion guide, which consisted of concept elicitation and cognitive debriefing sections. The anonymized interview transcripts were coded and analyzed thematically.
The results showed that concept elicitation identified key physical functioning concepts meaningful to individuals with PAH or CTEPH, leading to a conceptual model aligned with prior literature. During cognitive debriefing, participants valued time spent in non-sedentary physical activity and moderate to vigorous activity, while step count and walking speed were less relevant, 4 alternative variables were suggested: walking distance, walking up inclines, duration of continuous walking, and time spent walking. A measurement timeframe of 10–12 hours per day for at least 14 days was recommended.
Investigators concluded the qualitative study demonstrated the content validity of actigraphy measures of physical functioning, addressing evidence gaps for using actigraphy endpoints in future PAH and CTEPH clinical trials.
Source: bmcpulmmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12890-024-03442-7
