| Problem: There is a lack of exercise prescription being provided to patients by health care providers. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was completed. Peer-reviewed articles published within the years 2000-2012 which pertained to exercise prescription, its prevalence in clinical practice, and characteristics of a prescriber were included in the review. Results: The research demonstrated there is a lack of exercise prescription being provided to patients by healthcare providers. The majority of the studies demonstrated the prevalence of the use of exercise prescription by physicians and medical students may be influenced by the practitioner's own health status and exercise habits. Studies showed current graduate medical education curricula lack inclusion of the importance of and the approach to developing exercise prescriptions. Effective exercise prescriptions include assessment of patient goals and needs at baseline, an exercise program designed specifically for the patient based on individual goals and barriers, and continual follow-up by healthcare professionals to assess the progress of their patient. Conclusions: There is a need for exercise prescription as a tool in chronic disease prevention. There is a clear lack of exercise prescription being provided to patients by healthcare providers, possibly due to poor health habits of practitioners or lack of exercise prescription instruction during medical education. Research should be completed to assess whether inclusion of exercise prescription in medical education and increased focus on practitioner health habits would increase the prevalence of exercise prescription in clinical practice. |
