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Teaching resident physicians to provide exercise counseling: a needs assessment
Laura Q Rogers1, James E Bailey, Bernard Gutin
1Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, IL 62794-9636, USA.
Summary
Resident physicians provide limited exercise counseling, despite understanding its benefits. Confidence in skills and perceived importance are key predictors for improving patient exercise habits.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Preventive Medicine
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Physicians play a crucial role in promoting healthy lifestyles.
- Exercise counseling is a vital component of preventive care.
- Understanding physician behaviors and attitudes is essential for effective health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess resident physicians' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors concerning exercise counseling.
- To identify factors influencing the provision of exercise counseling by resident physicians.
Main Methods:
- A 1997 survey of 313 internal medicine residents across six US programs.
- Self-administered questionnaires analyzed using correlation and regression.
- Examined associations between counseling practices, attitudes, and personal habits.
Main Results:
- Only 15.5% of residents counseled most patients on exercise.
- Over 93% recognized exercise benefits and physician responsibility.
- Confidence in counseling skills (28%) and perceived success (29%) were low.
- Key predictors for counseling included perceived priority, skill confidence, and training year.
Conclusions:
- Resident physicians' exercise counseling is influenced by perceived priority, skill confidence, and training level.
- Future educational programs should target these factors to enhance counseling.
- Improving physician confidence and addressing barriers are crucial for effective exercise promotion.