Fitness Australia researchs medical and exercise referrals

With growing interest in medical exercise referrals, Fitness Australia is currently seeking industry preferences for the development of an information package on initiatives with GP referred activity and exercise programs.

In seeking input from fitness businesses and practitioners, Fitness Australia state "the challenge of successfully engaging relevant health professionals in risk management, decision making and ongoing client care is raised frequently in fitness industry discussions.

"To do this well, it is essential for fitness industry stakeholders to be consulted about best practice and to understand the key actions that contribute to success.

Fitness Australia has developed a questionnaire with seven questions that aims to ascertain what fitness industry stakeholders would want from an information package.

Popular in the United Kingdom over 20 years, medical exercise referral programs have been introduced in Australia over the last decade.

Explaining the thinking behind exercise referrals, Ken Phillips, Director of the KPIM consultancy, a consultancy that focuses on health development through facilitating the introduction of exercise referral schemes, explains "doctors and health practitioners are often accepted as being the people who are most trusted in our lives and it makes perfect sense (for fitness professionals) to collaborate with them in order to reach people that are least likely to take part in regular exercise.

"In addition, in order to ensure take up, there must be a direct link between the health professional and the providers of its exercise offer in order to encourage the 'patient' to take part."

The online survey can be completed by clicking on the link below. Fitness Australia also welcome additional feedback and ask that the survey be completed by Tuesday 2nd October 2012.

Click here to undertake the survey. 

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