Implementation of Physical Activity as a Vital Sign in a Single Indigent Care Clinic

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Introduction/Purpose: The scientific literature is replete with evidence supporting the overwhelming medical benefits of regular physical activity. The purpose of this project was to implement physical activity as a vital sign (PAVS) into clinical practice as an evidence-based secondary and tertiary intervention to prevent and mitigate disease sequelae within a single indigent care clinic. Methods: All medical providers (N = 7) completed an anonymous Qualtrics survey to assess their level of knowledge and confidence regarding patient physical activity assessment and counseling. Targeted education and training sessions were delivered through email and on-site.The providers completed a second Qualtrics survey to assess any behavior changes following the educational interventions. Results: Patient physical activity assessment and counseling was not a routine component of clinical practice. Following the educational interventions, most of the providers provided patients with written material regarding exercise benefits and recommendations in harmony with the PAVS and Exercise is Medicine® (EIM) platform. However, less than half of the providers indicated they had adopted the PAVS and EIM platform as part of their patient care. Discussion: Targeted education and training interventions did not significantly mitigate PAVS practice barriers, along with internal or external bias held among medical providers. Physical activity continues to be an underutilized evidence-based intervention for the prevention and treatment of chronic disease. Further research is needed to determine how to effectively integrate physical activity assessment and counseling into clinical practice within a variety of healthcare settings.

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DNP Project
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Physical activity, Vital Signs, Exercise medicine
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