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- Page navigation anchor for GPs’ knowledge, use, and confidence in national physical activity and health guidelines and tools.GPs’ knowledge, use, and confidence in national physical activity and health guidelines and tools.We read with interest the article by Chatterjee et al1 about GPs’ knowledge of physical activity (PA) guidelines and tools. Given increasing knowledge of the negative health effects of sedentary behaviour, this is an important topic. We know GPs can influence patient behaviour in related areas,2 so consider it important that we address how best to equip GPs to effectively advise patients on PA.Lack of GP awareness of PA guidelines was disappointing, although perhaps unsurprising, given the lack of PA teaching within the undergraduate curriculum.3Unfortunately we noticed inconsistencies in the paper, impacting the strength of the authors’ conclusions and they may wish to consider issuing an erratum. The paper states “15% of clinicians familiar with the national guidelines reported that they would recommend PA to patients with diagnosed cancer, however Table 1 (n=1013) represents all GPs, not just those familiar with the guidelines. Therefore, it is not possible to determine the relationship between knowing the guidelines and likelihood of acting on them.The authors state, “a larger proportion of the salaried GPs and GP registrars reported specific training on PA than partners or locum GPs”. Table 2 shows only two registrars in the study, one of whom had received training. Proportions in this context are mis...Show MoreCompeting Interests: None declared.
- Page navigation anchor for GPs’ knowledge, use, and confidence in national physical activity and health guidelines and toolsGPs’ knowledge, use, and confidence in national physical activity and health guidelines and tools
If GPs are expected not to preach what they do not practise themselves, then the findings of this survey are actually consistent and the behaviour, at least, not hypocritical.
How about a follow-on study: design a brief, not too challenging fitness test for GPs (e.g. based on a very simple and pragmatic army-recruit test, like in Switzerland; or for the police, or such) - perhaps even something, that can be done by remote self-assessment by the participating GPs themselves.
Then compare these with other professions, the general population (age-matched) or such.
Then reflect on what this means and how this could be improved (proposing that making this better is likely to benefit patients as well as the doctors).
Competing Interests: None declared.