The distance walked in six minutes is only comparable if the test was done the same way. This template captures the result with everything that affects it: course length, rests, oxygen, walking aids, heart rate, saturation and exertion.
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Total distance walked
Number of rests or stops
Supplemental oxygen during test
SpO₂ at end of test
Dyspnoea at end (Borg CR10)
At a glance
Standardisation
The six-minute walk looks simple, and that is its appeal: no equipment beyond a corridor, a stopwatch and a pulse oximeter. But small changes in how it is run shift the result by tens of metres. A shorter course means more turns and shorter distances. Encouragement that varies between assessors changes effort. A practice walk on the same day raises the second result. Supplemental oxygen or a walking aid obviously matters.
For those reasons the test protocol should be written in the study manual and the key conditions recorded on the eCRF every time: course length, whether a practice test was done, oxygen flow if used, walking aid, and the number and duration of rests. When results look odd, these fields are what data managers and monitors check first.
Participants may slow down or stop and rest; the clock keeps running. Record the number of rests and, if the test is stopped early, the reason and the time. An early stop for chest pain or desaturation may also need to be recorded as an adverse event.
Patient-reported
Participant, own phone
Observer-reported
Caregiver
Clinician-reported
Site staff, clinic tablet
Performance outcome
Site-run test, e.g. chair rise
Structure
| Field | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Course length | Number (m) | Usually 30 m; record every time. |
| Practice test performed | Single choice | Some protocols require one. |
| Walking aid | Dropdown | None, cane, walker, other. |
| Supplemental oxygen and flow | Single choice, number (L/min) | Must match between visits. |
| Heart rate, SpO₂ before and after | Number | Range checks. |
| Borg dyspnoea and fatigue, before and after | Linear scale 0 to 10 | CR10 version. |
| Total distance | Number (m) | Range check; the endpoint. |
| Rests, early stop and reason | Number, single choice, text | Reason prompts AE review when relevant. |
In Capture
Performance tests are completed by site staff during the visit and recorded as site forms. Every value is attributed to the assessor, range checks catch implausible distances or saturation values at entry, and SDV can focus on the distance and the conditions that affect it.
Edit checks / auto-queries
2Type
Range High
Operator
Greater than
Value
180
Priority: High
Type
Range Low
Operator
Less than
Value
80
Priority: Normal
Query raised automatically
Value 192 violates limit (180). Please verify.
Copy the template, set your course length and test it with sample values.
As an endpoint
Six-minute walk distance is a primary or key secondary endpoint in pulmonary arterial hypertension, some neuromuscular and rare disease trials, and heart failure studies. Its main weakness is variability: participants walk further on a second attempt on the same day, and encouragement changes effort. Many protocols therefore include a practice walk at screening, use a standard encouragement script at fixed intervals, and train assessors across sites.
Safety rules belong in the protocol too: when to stop the test early (for example chest pain, severe breathlessness or low oxygen saturation), and what to record. An early stop recorded with its reason and time keeps the distance interpretable and flags possible adverse events.
Before go-live
Course, encouragement script, timing and stopping rules.
Whether one is done, and when.
Same procedure at every site.
Distance, heart rate and SpO₂.
Same conditions at every visit for a participant.
Reason and time, with AE review where relevant.
A performance test measuring how far a person can walk on a flat surface in six minutes, following a standard protocol.
Distance, course length, rests, oxygen use, walking aid, and heart rate, SpO₂ and Borg scores before and after the test.
Shorter courses mean more turns and shorter distances, so results are only comparable on the same course.
The site staff member who runs the test. It is a performance outcome recorded as a site form.
Yes, in the free sandbox.
Keep exploring
Record the conditions with the distance. Free sandbox.