3. Sustainable solutions to primary care problems
- Date: 2022-10-12
- Concurrent Session: Concurrent Session A
- Time: 11:00 - 11:45 am
- Room:
- Style: Presentation (information provided to audience, with opportunity for audience to ask question)
- Focus: Balance between both (e.g. Presentation of a best-practice guideline that combines research evidence, policy issues and practical steps for implementation)
- Target Audience: Leadership (ED, clinical lead, board chair, board member, etc.)
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the scope of practice of a Registered Kinesiologist and their roles in patient care and primary health care through case studies.
- Recognize the education of a kinesiologist and their competence in patient care.
- Recognize the role that kinesiologists play in alleviating the impact on the healthcare system of increasing incidences of chronic diseases.
- Describe how kinesiologists interact with patients independently and collaboratively within primary care teams.
- Discover how to overcome existing barriers to the integration of kinesiology services.
- Understand how kinesiology services are supported and resources to support referral to kinesiology services.
Summary/Abstract:
Increasing incidences of chronic disease is key challenge in primary care. Exercise has a positive impact on patient health and wellness, but it is not always clear who within the primary health care team is best suited to support patient adoption of exercise behaviors. Kinesiologists, who are exercise specialists and regulated health professionals, are well positioned to improve patient care and fill this gap in health systems, by prescribing and facilitating exercise and physical activity. An overview of the scope of practice of the Registered Kinesiologist (RKin) and their various roles within the healthcare system will be presented. Data gathered from a survey of RKins (n=202), physicians and other healthcare practitioners (n=341) in Ontario will support a high satisfaction with kinesiology services (87%) along with barriers and facilitators to the further integration of kinesiologists in Ontario’s healthcare system. The most cited barriers, a lack of knowledge of kinesiologist service scope and concerns regarding funding for kinesiology services, will be discussed. Solutions to these barriers will be proposed, ultimately speaking to a global commitment to increase exercise and support for patients. For example, a standardized charting tool to evaluate patient outcomes will be presented as a model for Kinesiologists and primary care organizations. Case studies will be presented to detail interventions led by RKins and the impact that they have on clients with chronic disease within a primary health care setting. The impact of RKin interventions on patients with Diabetes, CVD, and Chronic Pain will be discussed and demonstrated.
Presenter:
- Leslie Auger, Ph.D., R.Kin. Program Head, Kinesiology, University of Guelph-Humber
- Matthew Mendes, R.Kin. Community Program Clinic Coordinator, Guelph Family Health Team