Six-year experience with graded exercise testing in a model family practice office

The Office for Family Practice began in-office graded exercise testing utilizing the Bruce or Balke protocol in March of 1978. Over the past six years approximately 275 graded exercise tests have been done. The purpose of this paper is to outline the indications, results, complications, and follow-up of those patients who have had graded exercise testing done in the office over this six-year period. These results demonstrate (1) the various indications and utilization of a treadmill machine in the family practice office setting, (2) the results of graded exercise testing and complications in those graded exercise tests done in the office in comparison with those reported in the literature done by other health care providers, and (3) the usefulness and applicability of graded exercise testing in the residency training and private practice setting. In addition to the above-collected data, the results of a questionnaire sent to former residents show the benefits of having training in graded exercise testing and also the applicability of this training in their practice settings. The results support the concept that graded exercise testing should be taught in the residency program and that this can be done both safely and effectively in the model office setting.