The Endurance Shuttle Walk Test (ESWT) is a simple, acceptable, field-based test which was first established in 1999 to measure endurance exercise capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The exercise capacity estimation in patients with chronic cardiopulmonary diseases, through field walking tests have been better and simpler in representing the demands of daily living.
The aim of this systematic review is to examine the reliability of ESWT in patients with COPD to estimate exercise capacity.
Among 791 articles identified through electronic databases (Web of Science, Pub Med, and Cochrane), 8 articles were included in the present review. Qualitative analyses were conducted according to the parameters of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Status Measurements Instruments (COSMIN) 2018 guidelines. The quality of included studies were graded as low for reliability. Qualitative analysis indicated inadequate evidence for reliability of the ESWT in patients with COPD.
One study reported the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), as 0.96 (0.95–0.97) 95% CI for endurance time. The difference between tests repeated on same day was generally small and non-significant statistically. The test-retest reliability and repeatability in two studies was insignificant. ESWT reported good repeatability with no learning effect.
The present studylacks evidence to report ESWT a reliable test in COPD patients.Further research reporting ICC is needed in this population to draw definitive conclusion regardingits reliability.
Endurance shuttle walk test, ESWT, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, Walking test, Reliability
