Key result
A one-hour exercise prescription education session significantly increased mean perceived knowledge levels among medical students and residents from 4.67 to 7.35 out of 10 (P < .001).
Why the study?
Physical inactivity contributes to many conditions, but a lack of education in exercise prescription may prevent physicians from properly prescribing exercise to patients.
Does a one-hour exercise prescription education session improve perceived knowledge and confidence in prescribing exercise among medical students and residents?
Does a one-hour exercise prescription education session improve perceived knowledge and confidence in prescribing exercise among medical students and residents?
Absolute Event Rate: 7.35% vs 4.67%
p-value: p=<.001
A brief, one-hour educational session on exercise prescription significantly improves medical students' and residents' perceived knowledge and confidence in prescribing physical activity.
OBJECTIVE Physical inactivity is a significant contributor to many acute and chronic medical conditions. While the dangers of physical inactivity (PA) are well understood and physicians have the desire to address them, a lack of education in exercise prescription (ERx) may be a barrier to properly prescribing exercise to patients. The aim of this research was to determine the effectiveness of an ERx medical education lecture and provide evidence for the need for formal ERx education among students and physicians in training with a secondary goal of further exploring medical student and resident habits and beliefs about PA and ERx. METHODS A one-hour education session was developed based on the American College of Sports Medicine principles of ERx. Pre- and postsurveys were administered immediately before and after the curriculum session to Wayne State University School of Medicine medical students and residents to assess perceived ERx knowledge level and confidence levels for prescribing aerobic and resistance exercise to patients. Virtual curriculum sessions were held over Zoom. RESULTS A total of 144 presurvey and 119 postsurvey results were analyzed. The mean perceived ERx knowledge level significantly increased from 4.67/10 ± 1.98 to 7.35/10 ± 1.56 ( P < .001). Mean confidence level discussing PA with patients, ability to answer exercise-related questions, confidence level in ability to prescribe aerobic exercise, and ability to prescribe resistance exercise significantly increased in all groups and overall ( P < .001) CONCLUSION A one-hour session to educate medical students and residents on how to write an ERx improved perceived knowledge and confidence in this subject matter. Although further study is needed to determine long-term knowledge retention and the impact on ERx behavioral practice in a patient care setting, this study provides preliminary evidence to justify its inclusion as a regular component of the medical school curriculum.
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Sprys-Tellner et al. (2023) studied Medical students and residents (n=144). Exercise prescription (ERx) medical education lecture vs. Pre-intervention baseline was evaluated on Perceived ERx knowledge level (out of 10) (p=<.001). A one-hour exercise prescription education session significantly increased mean perceived knowledge levels among medical students and residents from 4.67 to 7.35 out of 10 (P < .001).
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