RECOMMENDATION | LEVEL*† | GRADE†‡ |
---|---|---|
Clinical exercise stress testing can be conducted by qualified exercise physiologists (ie, university-trained exercise physiologists with advanced training and certification), provided that a physician and emergency response equipment are readily available | II | A |
Qualified exercise professionals should be trained to deliver patient-centred care, work in interdisciplinary teams, perform evidence-based best practice, employ quality improvement and control processes, and make use of information technology to improve patient care | IV | C |
Qualified exercise professionals should possess a series of discipline-specific core competencies before working with those with higher-risk conditions (eg, pregnancy, various chronic diseases). These core competencies include the following:
| IV | C |
Graduates of exercise science programs destined for clinical employment should complete a clinical internship | IV | C |
Practical skills in clinical exercise testing and prescription should be tested directly | IV | C |
Physicians interested in health promotion and lifestyle behaviour modification should work in close collaboration with allied health professionals who have specialized training in these fields (including qualified exercise professionals) in order to optimize patient-centred care | IV | C |
Qualified exercise professionals should pass rigorous, independent, national-level written and practical examinations to establish their competency to work with at-risk populations | IV | C |
↵* Level I evidence includes randomized controlled trials; level II evidence includes randomized controlled trials with important limitations or observational trials with overwhelming evidence; level III evidence includes observational trials; and level IV evidence includes anecdotal evidence or expert opinion.
↵† A strong expert opinion recommendation would receive a IV-C rating.
↵‡ Grade A recommendations are strong; grade B recommendations are intermediate; and grade C recommendations are weak.