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Exercise Physiologists: Roles and Referrals

"We know of no single intervention with greater promise than physical exercise to reduce the risk of virtually all chronic diseases simultaneously" - Booth et al, Journal of Applied Physiology 2000.

Current evidence supports physical activity as an integral treatment for both primary and secondary prevention of chronic disease. General practitioners frequently experience complex issues when presented with a patient requiring physical activity counselling,
including:

• the presence of co-morbidities and their associated risk of an acute event (musculoskeletal, cardiac or metabolic);
• the patients readiness for behavioural change;
• the doctors level of confidence with exercise prescription to accommodate the presence of comorbidities;
• time constraints associated with consultation times and associated remuneration

Exercise Physiologists provide many services including:

• assessment providing an accurate determination of functional capacities of patient
• risk stratification for various exercise modes and intensities
• health-behaviour change counselling and management
• specific physical activity prescription (to accommodate various pathologies)
• exercise supervision or delivery for individual or group settings

General practitioners and other treating clinicians can expect regular reports on patient progress.

Referring Patients to an Exercise Physiologist

The Find an Exercise Physiologist is an on-line search facility that enables general practitioners to access Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEP) for referral of patients to physical activity interventions. The site includes tertiary qualified, non-accredited AAESS members for referral of lower risk patients or when an AEP is unavailable. One of the three (3) search options is organised in the Division of General Practice format, which allows general practitioners to obtain specific contact and professional details of all practising Exercise Physiologists within their division.

Australian Association for Exercise and Sports Science (AAESS): Standards of care

The Australian Association for Exercise and Sports Science (AAESS) is the single national representative organisation for graduates of exercise science degrees. AAESS, founded in 1991, is working to achieve standards for the delivery of exercise interventions by Exercise Physiologists in health settings. All AAESS members are tertiary-qualified allied health professionals trained to prescribe and deliver exercise interventions safely and to the highest standards. Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEP) with specialisations in cardio-respiratory, musculo-skeletal or neurological exercise rehabilitation are recommended to manage complex exercise interventions for "at risk" patient populations.

Please Note: Use of this directory is subject to the terms and conditions imposed by The RACGP.

Publication Date: 14 September 2004