Universities, post-graduate training programs, and professional societies should include basic physical activity education in the training of all healthcare professionals. (HC-4)
TACTICS:
Include basic physical activity education during assessment, brief counseling, and referrals as part of the required curriculum in medical school. (HC-4.1)
Foster health professional student interest in physical activity. (HC-4.2)
Include physical activity content in licensing exams and in board certification exams for clinicians involved in physical activity promotion. (HC-4.3)
Provide an array of evidence-based curricular resources to support physical activity education throughout all health professional training. (HC-4.4)
Objectives:
- By 2020, at least one professional society for physicians who serve each of the groups of children and adolescents, adults, and older adults will collaborate in the development and publication of a position stand on best practices for physical activity assessment, counseling, and referral strategies in healthcare settings.
- By 2020, professional societies representing at least the following five populations: children and adolescents, adults, older adults and those with diabetes/prediabetes and cardiovascular disease risk will have developed and disseminated physical activity educational resources (e.g., didactics, self-directed learning, videos) for different faculty and student audiences.
Include physical activity content in continuing education professional development programs. (HC-4.5)
Objectives:
- By 2020, at least five professional societies will have partnered with educational institutions to offer physical activity training in continuing education professional development programs.
- By 2020, at least 2 professional societies will have created ‘Certificates of Completion’ for professional development programs that include physical activity training.
- By 2020 60% of physicians strongly agree that they are confident in their ability to counsel patients to be adequately physically active according to the National Physician Survey of Practices on Diet, Physical Activity and Weight Control Questionnaire or other relevant surveillance systems.
