Exploring cardiologists’ and oncologists’ exercise recommendation and referral practices

Abstract

Objective: Exercise is beneficial for individuals who have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease or cancer. Healthcare providers are well placed to discuss exercise with their patients, but their referral practices and the content of exercise recommendations remain unclear. Method: Cardiologists and oncologists completed an online survey comprising four closed-ended questions and one open-ended question to assess exercise recommendation and referral practices. Chi-square tests were used to compare the frequency of closed-ended responses, and open-ended responses were coded and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Of the 154 surveys, 58 were returned ( n = 25; 43.1% cardiologists, and n = 33; 56.9% oncologists). Respondents ( Mage = 45.5 ± 11.1) were mostly men (62.1%). The majority of cardiologists (95.8%) and oncologists (78.1%) reported referring patients to hospital-based exercise programmes. In this study, the cardiologists were more likely to refer patients to certified exercise physiologists (χ2(1) = 6.140, p = .021), whereas oncologists were more likely to refer to physical therapists (χ2(1) = 11.764, p = .001). Conclusion: Findings reveal that cardiologists and oncologists discussed and recommended exercise to their patients at least some or most of the time; there were differences in the type of exercise professionals they were referred to; and exercise recommendations were variable and infrequently concurred with established guidelines.