Valentina Totti1, Tiziana Campione2, Giovanni Mosconi3, Mariarosa Tamè4, Paola Todeschini5, Gianluigi Sella6, Giulio Sergio Roi7, Alessandra Spazzoli3, Maria Laura Angelini3, Gabriela Sangiorgi2, Adriana Giannini8, Lia Bellis9, Alessandro Nanni Costa10. 1. Department of Biomedical & Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy; Associazione Nazionale Emodializzati, Dialisi e Trapianto, Milano, Italy. 2. Transplants Reference Center of the Emilia-Romagna Region, Bologna, Italy. 3. Nephrology and Dialysis, Morgagni-Pierantoni Hospital, Forlì, Italy. 4. Department of Gastrointestinal Diseases, Gastroenterology Division, Sant'Orsola-Malpighi University-Hospital, Bologna, Italy. 5. Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Sant'Orsola-Malpighi University-Hospital, Bologna, Italy. 6. Sports Medicine Unit, Regional Hospital of Ravenna, Italy. 7. Isokinetic Medical Group, Education and Research Department, Bologna, Italy. 8. Collective Prevention and Public Health Service of Emilia-Romagna Region, Bologna, Italy. 9. Italian National Transplant Center, Rome, Italy. 10. Italian National Transplant Center, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: lia.bellis@iss.it.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Following the positive experience of the national project "A transplant...and now it's time for sport," the Transplant Reference Center of the Emilia-Romagna Region has pursued the promotion of pre- and post-transplant physical exercise by developing a network. METHODS: The path involved the transplant centers and operative units (UU.OO) who wanted to target transplant and waiting list patients, who are clinically stable, to perform personalized exercise through a program (supervised or not) prescribed by a specialist in sports medicine. With the collaboration of the Collective Prevention and Public Health Service, the network was established, consisting of the sports medicine centers and the gyms that promote health for adapted physical activity (PS-AMA). To implement the network, training courses for all the professionals involved (doctors, nurses, exercise specialists) and operational meetings in the transplant centers-nephrology units with patients' associations have been organized. RESULTS: To date, there are 14 transplant centers and UU.OO, 9 sports medicine centers, and 45 PS-AMA involved in this network. Seven training courses were organized with the participation of 193 health professionals. Since January 2016, there have been 65 transplanted patients and 5 patients on the waiting list who practice the prescribed exercise. Of these, 45 carry out supervised exercise in PS-AMA; 25 perform autonomous exercise. Each patient is monitored every 6 months. No problems related to the exercise performance were recorded. CONCLUSIONS: The development of a network of professionals and associations is the key element to raise awareness of physical activity among transplanted and waiting-for-transplant patients, reducing the pathologies associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
BACKGROUND: Following the positive experience of the national project "A transplant...and now it's time for sport," the Transplant Reference Center of the Emilia-Romagna Region has pursued the promotion of pre- and post-transplant physical exercise by developing a network. METHODS: The path involved the transplant centers and operative units (UU.OO) who wanted to target transplant and waiting list patients, who are clinically stable, to perform personalized exercise through a program (supervised or not) prescribed by a specialist in sports medicine. With the collaboration of the Collective Prevention and Public Health Service, the network was established, consisting of the sports medicine centers and the gyms that promote health for adapted physical activity (PS-AMA). To implement the network, training courses for all the professionals involved (doctors, nurses, exercise specialists) and operational meetings in the transplant centers-nephrology units with patients' associations have been organized. RESULTS: To date, there are 14 transplant centers and UU.OO, 9 sports medicine centers, and 45 PS-AMA involved in this network. Seven training courses were organized with the participation of 193 health professionals. Since January 2016, there have been 65 transplanted patients and 5 patients on the waiting list who practice the prescribed exercise. Of these, 45 carry out supervised exercise in PS-AMA; 25 perform autonomous exercise. Each patient is monitored every 6 months. No problems related to the exercise performance were recorded. CONCLUSIONS: The development of a network of professionals and associations is the key element to raise awareness of physical activity among transplanted and waiting-for-transplant patients, reducing the pathologies associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
Authors: Ingrid J Hickman; Amy K Hannigan; Heidi E Johnston; Louise Elvin-Walsh; Hannah L Mayr; Heidi M Staudacher; Amandine Barnett; Rachel Stoney; Chloe Salisbury; Maree Jarrett; Marina M Reeves; Jeff S Coombes; Katrina L Campbell; Shelley E Keating; Graeme A Macdonald Journal: Transplant Direct Date: 2021-02-04