A hospital to community exercise referral pathway: results of a pilot project

People living with chronic disease should ideally engage with community-based exercise services following hospital-based rehabilitation. However, transition from hospital to community exercise settings is extremely challenging and strategies to support this transition are underdeveloped.

The aims of this study were to develop and explore the feasibility of a pilot exercise referral pathway between an acute hospital and community gyms for patients with chronic health conditions and to evaluate patient satisfaction with the exercise referral pathway.

A stakeholder-informed exercise referral pathway was developed and offered to patients following completion of a hospital-based exercise programme for a chronic health condition. The pathway was evaluated using a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data examining participant engagement was used to examine feasibility. Quantitative survey data and qualitative data from semi-structured interviews examined satisfaction with the pathway.

Forty-nine people living with chronic conditions (mean age 72 ± 7.8 years) participated (recruitment rate 59%). The average number of community gym visits over 4 months was 17.4 (range 0-51). Twenty-nine (78%) participants reported that they planned to continue their gym membership when the programme ended. Themed responses from participant interviews (n = 12) highlighted the benefits of a supported transition from hospital to gym membership and the need for more structured exercise support in community gyms.

A structured exercise referral pathway to support exercise transition between hospital and community settings in populations with chronic health conditions appears feasible. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the referral pathway.