Melinda Craike1, Helena Britt2, Alexandra Parker3, Christopher Harrison4. 1. Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Australia; Australian Health Policy Collaboration, Victoria University, Australia. Electronic address: melinda.craike@vu.edu.au. 2. Family Medicine Research Centre, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: helena.britt@sydney.edu.au. 3. Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Australia. Electronic address: Alexandra.Parker@vu.edu.au. 4. Family Medicine Research Centre, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Menzies Centre for Health Policy, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: christopher.harrison@sydney.edu.au.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Physical activity is essential in the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases and should be a standard component of clinical care. The aims of this study were to examine the trends and characteristics of referrals to exercise physiologists in routine care in a nationally representative sample of general practitioners (GPs) in Australia. DESIGN: This prospective study was an analysis of Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) GP data from April 2009 to March 2016. METHODS: In total, each of 6827 randomly sampled GPs recorded details of 100 consecutive encounters (N=682,700). The rate of exercise physiologist referrals was calculated by patient and GP characteristics. RESULTS: Over the study period, the rate at which GPs referred their patients significantly increased from 0.38 to 1.44 per 1000 encounters. Patients aged 45-64 years were most likely to be referred (1.32 per 1000 encounters). Patients from non-English-speaking backgrounds were referred at less than half the rate (0.41 per 1000) of those from English speaking backgrounds (0.96). Female GPs referred patients (1.27 per 1000 encounters) twice as often as male GPs (0.64). One-third (35.3%) of GP referrals were made for problems relating to the endocrine, nutritional and metabolic systems (e.g., obesity, diabetes mellitus); only 1.6% of referrals were made for mental health conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Although increasing, the rate of GP referral to exercise physiologists was low and associated with patient and GP characteristics. Education of GPs about the role of exercise physiologists in the prevention and management of chronic disease is needed.
OBJECTIVES: Physical activity is essential in the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases and should be a standard component of clinical care. The aims of this study were to examine the trends and characteristics of referrals to exercise physiologists in routine care in a nationally representative sample of general practitioners (GPs) in Australia. DESIGN: This prospective study was an analysis of Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) GP data from April 2009 to March 2016. METHODS: In total, each of 6827 randomly sampled GPs recorded details of 100 consecutive encounters (N=682,700). The rate of exercise physiologist referrals was calculated by patient and GP characteristics. RESULTS: Over the study period, the rate at which GPs referred their patients significantly increased from 0.38 to 1.44 per 1000 encounters. Patients aged 45-64 years were most likely to be referred (1.32 per 1000 encounters). Patients from non-English-speaking backgrounds were referred at less than half the rate (0.41 per 1000) of those from English speaking backgrounds (0.96). Female GPs referred patients (1.27 per 1000 encounters) twice as often as male GPs (0.64). One-third (35.3%) of GP referrals were made for problems relating to the endocrine, nutritional and metabolic systems (e.g., obesity, diabetes mellitus); only 1.6% of referrals were made for mental health conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Although increasing, the rate of GP referral to exercise physiologists was low and associated with patient and GP characteristics. Education of GPs about the role of exercise physiologists in the prevention and management of chronic disease is needed.
Authors: Coral L Hanson; Lis Neubeck; Richard G Kyle; Norrie Brown; Robyn Gallagher; Robyn A Clark; Sheona McHale; Susan Dawkes Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-02-10 Impact factor: 3.390
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