Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Clinical practice guidelines recommend supervised exercise therapy (SET) as first-line therapy for patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and intermittent claudication (IC). The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for IC deems exercise therapy as appropriate for all patients with IC. However, compliance with recommendations for the use of exercise therapy is often poor due to the lack of availability, patient travel requirements, and cost. Results of home-based exercise therapy programs have been mixed with a trend towards improved results with more frequent patient engagement. The feasibility, utilization, and effectiveness of a 12-week app-based structured exercise therapy program using cognitive behavioral techniques (CBT) for IC was evaluated.METHODS: Patients with PAD (confirmed by abnormal ABI or TBI) and IC were recruited prospectively to participate in SVS SET, a 12-week app-based exercise therapy program. Participants performed home six-minute walk tests, completed quality of life (QoL) surveys, received education options via micro training courses (What is PAD?, Exercise, Nutrition), and ongoing health coaching utilizing CBT. They were instructed to record at least three 30-minute exercise therapy walks a week using their personal mobile phones. Programming also included "daily doses" of health education, coaching and reminders sent via text message.RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-nine patients (37% women, mean age 65) were enrolled across 20 institutions (44% offered in-person exercise therapy programs). One hundred twenty (86%) of patients completed the program. Participants recorded 201,163 minutes of walking 8,013,520 steps with the exercise therapy program, completing a total of 5,049 SET Walks. Nineteen (14%) of enrolled participants became inactive because they either paused (14 participants: medical reasons, travel, or other) or withdrew (5 participants: security concerns, lack of motivation). Ninety-two percent of patients met their stated CBT SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) goals. Freedom from intervention at 6 months was 92% and 69% at 12 months.CONCLUSIONS: Deployment of a 12-Week app-based exercise therapy program for PAD incorporating CBT was feasible in achieving 86% program completion and effective at meeting guideline recommended activity goals. Ninety-two percent of participants achieved their CBT SMART goals. Utilization of exercise therapy was increased by virtue of offering this program at institutions which did not offer exercise therapy.

View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jvs.2022.06.087

View details for PubMedID 35872328