In an effort to combat the rapid progression of chronic diseases and rising healthcare costs, Exercise is Medicine, a global health initiative, has forged an international collaboration with the American Council on Exercise and the Medical Fitness Association to bring together healthcare systems, providers, fitness professionals and community resources across the U.S. to better integrate physical activity into healthcare.
Exercise is Medicine was launched in 2007 by the American Medical Association and the American College of Sports Medicine.
"Too few health systems and healthcare providers routinely include physical activity as part of their patient's treatment plans," said Felipe Lobelo, MD, PhD, director Exercise is Medicine Global Research and Collaboration Center. "Our goal is to elevate the status of physical activity so that it becomes a standard on healthcare. If we truly believe that exercise is indeed medicine, then physical activity-related care needs to be standardized, from patient activity assessments as a vital sign, to counseling and referrals to certified community resources meeting high quality control standards, just as other medical therapies and interventions are standardized."
The new partners introduced Greenville (S.C.) Health System as the first to fully adopt the EIM solution. Components adopted by GHS include incorporating EIM into its curriculum for future physicians, including physical activity as a vital sign in their Epic EMR, disseminating education material on EIM to patients, employing a full-time EIM coordinator to direct patient referrals to a GHS medical fitness center.
EIM now partners with seven regional health, medical and scientific organizations and 43 national organizations around the world.