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  1. FHIR Specification Feedback
  2. FHIR-40952

Remove peak heart rate activity measure

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    • Icon: Change Request Change Request
    • Resolution: Persuasive with Modification
    • Icon: Medium Medium
    • US Physical Activity (FHIR)
    • 1.0.0-ballot [deprecated]
    • Patient Care
    • STU
    • Observation - Activity Measure - Peak Heart Rate
      PA Observation - Supporting, Activity-based
      PA Observation Activity-related codes
    • Physical Activity Measures
    • 1.10.25.1.1
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      There are clinical reasons why capturing 'peak' heart rate is important.  Some patients need to ensure their heart rate does not exceed a particular level for safety reasons.  And many devices are pretty good about measuring heart rate values.

      However, we agree that average heart rate is a useful measure and will add it as an additional measure.

      We will add a note on the two 'peak' heart rate measures that these measures are more subjective to spurious measurements than some of the other measures and should therefore be evaluated more carefully.

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      There are clinical reasons why capturing 'peak' heart rate is important.  Some patients need to ensure their heart rate does not exceed a particular level for safety reasons.  And many devices are pretty good about measuring heart rate values. However, we agree that average heart rate is a useful measure and will add it as an additional measure. We will add a note on the two 'peak' heart rate measures that these measures are more subjective to spurious measurements than some of the other measures and should therefore be evaluated more carefully.
    • Jay Lyle/Rob Eastwood : 6-0-1
    • Enhancement
    • Compatible, substantive
    • 1.0.0

    Description

      Based on my personal experience as a heavy user of multiple wearable fitness tracker devices over several years I recommend removing LOINC code 55422-0 (Heart rate Encounter maximum) from the profiles, value sets, and examples. I think that concept code was intended for use with medical devices in a clinical setting but consumer devices such as smart watches, rings, and heart rate monitor chest straps aren't accurate enough for maximum readings to be clinically meaningful. I have personally experienced several spurious readings during exercise activities that were significantly higher than my actual maximum heart rate.

      And even if a patient really does hit a particular peak heart rate at some point during an activity that usually isn't clinically significant. A single peak value isn't meaningful without other context such as tested maximum heart rate, lactate thresholds (LT1 / LT2), and time spent at or near the peak.

      Instead consider using LOINC code 55425-3 (Heart rate unspecified time mean by Pedometer). With a typical activity lasting at least a few minutes the mean heart rate will usually be fairly accurate even with a few outlier samples.

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            nradov Nick Radov
            Nick Radov
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              Updated:
              Resolved: