Table 1.
Overview of programme delivery in supervised exercise programmes.
| Responses % (n) | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Conducted baseline testing | Yes – 80% (24/30) | Baseline tests included ABPI and/or a form of walking exercise test |
| No – 10% – (3/30) | ||
| Don’t know – 10% (3/30) | ||
| Pre-programme exercise test | Yes – 83% (20/24) | Exercise tests included a graded or constant load treadmill test, the ISWT or the 6MWT. Strength was measured in two programmes |
| No – 17% (4/24) | ||
| Methods for prescription | Claudication pain scale – 50% (13/26) | The claudication pain scale (0–4 or 1–5). No prescription included patients who ‘self-prescribed’ during the exercise sessions. Mixed relates to the use of RPE and %HRR in conjunction with the pain scale |
| No prescription – 38% (10/26) | ||
| Mixed – 12% (3/26) | ||
| Programme duration (Weeks) | 12 weeks – 50% (15/30) | |
| <12 weeks – 23% (7/30 | ||
| >12 weeks – 13.5% (4/30)>12 weeks – 13.5% (4/30) | ||
| Don’t know – 13.5% (4/30) | ||
| Session frequency (Days) | 1x week – 50% (15/30) | |
| 2x week – 23% (7/30) | ||
| 3x week – 4% (1/30) | ||
| Don’t know/other – 23% (7/30) | ||
| Session duration (Minutes) | 30 mins–7% (2/30) | Average session duration of programmes was 1226 min over 12 weeks, with 5 out of 23 meeting the NICE recommendation of 2 h per week for 12 weeks (1440 min) |
| 30–60 mins – 70% (21/30) | ||
| >60 mins – 7% (2/30) | ||
| Don’t know – 16% (5/30) | ||
| Mode of exercise | Walking only – 13% (4/30) | Mixed included walking in conjunction with a circuit format and/or RT. Only 30% of programmes included a RT component in the exercise sessions |
| Mixed – 67% (20/30) | ||
| Don’t know – 20% (6/30) | ||
| Post-programme exercise test | Yes – (66%) (20/30) | Exercise tests included a graded or constant load treadmill test, the ISWT or the 6MWT. |
| No – 17% (5/30) | ||
| Don’t know - 17% (5/30) | ||
| Strength was measured in two programmes |
aABPI = ankle brachial pressure index; ISWT = incremental shuttle walk test; 6MWT = six-minute walk test; RPE = rating of perceived exertion; %HRR = percentage of heart rate reserve; RT = resistance training.