The benefits of physical activity are pretty well established, but getting people to do so is not easy, even if doing so will significantly improve their health. A new digital tool has recently been launched to help healthcare professionals better advise us on the kind of physical activity we should be doing to manage our conditions, prevent disease and aid recovery.
The platform has been developed by the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (FSEM) in partnership with Public Health England (PHE) and Sport England and aims to tackle the problem of physical inactivity, which is one of the top ten biggest causes of ill health in the UK.
The makers suggest that as many as 1/4 patients would gladly be more active if they were suitably advised by a healthcare professional, yet roughly 3/4 of those professionals don’t proffer such advise. The tool aims to help them do just that, and was developed after consultation with around 300 healthcare professionals and patients. It provides the professionals with the latest evidence in a range of situations to help them overcome any skills gaps they may have in this domain.
Healthier patients
“The development of the Moving Medicine platform has been a truly collaborative effort, drawing on the expertise of many across a wide range of different disciplines and professional bodies as well as medical Royal Colleges, associated charities and patient groups,” the makers say. “We all believe that introducing more physical activity into every care pathway across the NHS is an essential, cost-effective intervention to improve people’s health. Moving Medicine will ensure that all health care professionals have up to date information on physical activity presented in a useable, easy to understand format, enabling them to inform their patients and motivate them to become more active.”
The platform is a part of a wider program called Moving Healthcare Professionals, which aims to help healthcare professionals embed physical activity into the advise they give to patients for various conditions.
