FAQ - Update To ACSM's Recommendations For Exercise Preparticipation Health Screening 2015
FAQ - Update To ACSM's Recommendations For Exercise Preparticipation Health Screening 2015
FAQ
–
Update
to
ACSM’s
Recommendations
for
Exercise
Preparticipation
Health
Screening
General
Questions
Q:
What
changed
in
the
recommendations
for
exercise
preparticipation
health
screening?
A:
An
expert
panel
proposed
a
new
evidence-‐informed
model
for
exercise
preparticipation
health
screening
based
on
three
factors:
Ø The
individual’s
current
level
of
physical
activity
Ø Presence
of
signs,
symptoms
and/or
known
cardiovascular,
metabolic
or
renal
disease
Ø Desired
exercise
intensity.
The
new
recommendations
no
longer
include
the
cardiovascular
disease
(CVD)
risk
factor
profile
as
part
of
the
decision-‐making
for
referral
to
a
health
care
provider
prior
to
the
initiation
of
a
moderate-‐to-‐vigorous
intensity
exercise
program
.
Additionally,
the
recommendations
no
longer
utilize
a
low/moderate/high
risk
classification
scheme.
It
makes
general
recommendations
for
medical
clearance
versus
specific
recommendations
for
medical
exams
or
exercise
tests.
The
manner
of
clearance
is
left
to
the
discretion
of
the
health
care
provider
and
does
not
automatically
refer
individuals
with
pulmonary
disease
for
medical
clearance
prior
to
the
initiation
of
an
exercise
program.
Q:
What
didn’t
change?
A: The
recommendations
continue
to:
Ø Encourage
preparticipation
screening
for
persons
interested
in
initiating
or
progressing
exercise
or
other
physical
activity
programs
Ø Recognize
that
vigorous
intensity
exercise
has
a
small
but
measurable
acute
risk
of
CVD
complications
and
mitigating
this
risk
in
susceptible
individuals
is
important
Ø Continues
to
recommend
that
exercise
professionals
consult
with
health
care
providers
when
there
are
questions
about
individuals
with
known
disease
or
signs
and
symptoms
suggestive
of
disease,
or
any
other
concern
about
an
individual’s
ability
to
safely
participate
in
an
exercise
program.
Please
note
the
new
recommendations
pertain
only
to
the
preparticipation
exercise
screening
portion
of
the
process.
Anything
regarding
the
pre-‐exercise
evaluation,
fitness
testing
and
interpretation,
and
exercise
prescription
remains
the
same
once
clearance
has
been
obtained.
Q:
What
precipitated
the
change?
A:
Exercise
is
safe
for
most
people
and
has
many
health/fitness
benefits.
The
cardiovascular
risks
associated
with
exercise
lessen
as
individuals
become
more
physically
active,
and
exercise-‐related
cardiovascular
events
are
rare
and
are
often
preceded
by
warning
signs
and
symptoms.
The
current
prescreening
risk-‐based
algorithms
were
resulting
in
excessive
referrals
to
physicians
for
medical
clearance.
This
caused
a
potential
barrier
to
adopting
exercise,
and
a
financial
burden
on
the
individual
and
health
care
system.
The
review
of
the
research
ultimately
concluded
that
the
high
prevalence
of
CVD
risk
factors
among
adults,
combined
with
the
extreme
rarity
of
exercise-‐related
sudden-‐cardiac
death
(SCD)
and
acute
myocardial
infarction
(AMI),
suggests
that
the
ability
to
predict
these
rare
events
by
assessing
CVD
risk
factors
is
low.
Q:
How
did
you
go
about
creating
the
new
recommendations?
A:
An
expert
panel
was
convened
by
ACSM
in
June
2014
to
establish
best
practices
in
the
exercise
preparticipation
health
screening
practice.
This
panel
included
experts
in
risk
assessment,
preventive
cardiology,
public
health,
exercise
physiology,
and
geriatrics,
practitioners
from
the
field
of
medicine,
clinical
exercise
physiology,
and
health
fitness/prevention.
The
panel
developed
the
recommendations
based
on
review
and
examination
of
current
research.
A
writing
group,
including
several
members
of
the
expert
panel,
was
convened
to
create
a
paper
reflecting
the
new
recommendations
which
then
went
through
extensive
reviews.
Q:
I
don’t
understand
the
change
or
difference
between
medical
clearance
versus
a
medical
exam
or
exercise
test
and
how
that
works
with
the
new
recommendations.
A:
Medical
clearance
(a
doctor
advising
a
patient
that
it
is
ok
to
exercise)
has
replaced
specific
recommendations
for
a
medical
exam
or
exercise
test
because
it
should
be
the
health
care
provider
that
decides
what
evaluation,
if
any,
is
appropriate
prior
to
the
initiation
of
exercise.
The
current
recommendations
indicate
the
need
for
a
medical
exam
or
an
exercise
test
based
on
the
results
of
a
CVD
risk-‐factor
assessment
and
classification
as
low,
moderate
or
high
risk.
In
the
update,
medical
clearance
has
replaced
these
specific
recommendations
as
we
believe
it
should
be
the
health
care
provider’s
decision
as
to
what
further
evaluation,
if
any,
is
appropriate
prior
to
the
initiation
of
exercise.
For
example,
a
doctor
may
simply
review
the
patient’s
chart
and
deem
the
patient
cleared
to
exercise,
and
the
need
for
a
full
medical
exam
may
not
be
necessary.
In
addition,
there
is
a
lack
of
evidence
that
medical
exams
and
exercise
testing
are
effective
in
mitigating
the
risk
of
exercise-‐related
cardiovascular
deaths.
Thus,
acquiring
medical
clearance
(rather
than
requiring
medical
exams
or
exercise
testing)
leaves
the
decision-‐making
to
the
physician.
Q:
Where
can
I
find
the
new
recommendations?
What
documents
or
publications
are
being
updated
as
ACSM’s
official
recommendation?
A:
The
new
recommendations
are
published
as
an
ACSM
roundtable
consensus
statement
in
the
November
2015
issue
of
Medicine
&
Science
in
Sports
&
Exercise.
This
information
will
also
be
found
within
many
ACSM
publications
including
ACSM’s
Guidelines
for
Exercise
Testing
and
Prescription
10th
Edition
(GETP10),
all
of
which
will
be
updated
over
the
course
of
the
next
18
months.
New
resources
that
incorporate
this
update
are
also
being
created.
Q:.
Where
do
I
go
to
find
the
consensus
statement
paper
and
detailed
specifics?
A:
http://journals.lww.com/acsm-‐
msse/Fulltext/2015/11000/Updating_ACSM_s_Recommendations_for_Exercise.28.a
spx
Job-‐Specific
Questions
Q:
How
will
this
affect
my
job
if
I
am
working
directly
with
clients
on
exercise
programming?
A:
The
new
recommendations
will
change
how
you
go
about
determining
whether
or
not
a
client
needs
a
referral
to
a
health
care
provider
prior
to
commencing
an
exercise
program.
The
new
exercise
preparticipation
health
screening
recommendations
are
not
a
replacement
for
sound
clinical
judgment,
and
decisions
about
referral
to
a
health
care
provider
for
medical
clearance
prior
to
the
initiation
of
an
exercise
program
should
continue
to
be
made
on
an
individual
basis.
Q:
When
should
I
integrate
the
recommendations
of
the
paper
and
GETP10
into
my
exercise
professional
practice?
A:
You
may
incorporate
the
new
recommendations
as
described
in
the
consensus
statement
paper
now.
GETP10,
which
will
contain
many
updates
(including
the
new
recommendations
referenced
here),
will
be
available
in
March
of
2017.
Q:
Do
the
changes
affect
my
liability
when
working
with
clients
in
any
way?
A:
The
liability
for
fitness
professionals
who
rely
on
ACSM
recommendations
has
not
changed-‐fitness
professionals
must
continue
to
exercise
reasonable
care
in
training
a
client.
As
has
been
the
case,
there
is
recognition
that
there
is
some
assumption
of
risk
with
regard
to
fitness
training
under
the
guidance
of
a
fitness
professional,
and
waivers
and
releases
can
limit
future
liability.
As
stated
in
the
paper,
the
new
exercise
preparticipation
health
screening
recommendations
are
not
a
replacement
for
sound
clinical
judgment,
and
decisions
about
referral
to
a
health
care
provider
for
medical
clearance
prior
to
the
initiation
of
an
exercise
program
should
continue
to
be
made
on
an
individual
basis.
Q:
How
will
this
impact
me
if
I
am
teaching
as
a
faculty
member?
Do
I
need
to
change
what
I
teach
if
my
students
are
preparing
to
take
an
ACSM
certification
exam?
A:
We
encourage
you
to
teach
using
the
new
recommendations.
However,
if
you
have
students
preparing
to
take
an
ACSM
certification
exam,
this
content
will
not
be
incorporated
into
the
exams
until
the
new
exams
release
in
June
2017.
Certification-‐Related
Questions
Q:
How
does
this
impact
me
if
I
am
planning
to
take
a
certification
test
in
the
next
18
months?
A:
If
you
are
taking
the
exam
prior
to
2017,
this
new
information
does
not
impact
you.
The
content
covered
in
the
current
exams,
as
well
as
the
preparatory
materials
and
workshops
will
not
include
this
update
related
to
preparticipation
health
screening.
The
new
exam
changes
specific
to
the
updated
information
on
the
exercise
preparticipation
health
screening
will
not
be
incorporated
until
the
new
exams
release
in
June
2017.
ACSM
does
major
updates
to
exam
content
and
supporting
materials
on
a
4-‐year
cycle
–
that
has
not
changed.
Prior
to
that
date,
exam
preparatory
materials
including
books,
job
task
analyses,
webinars
and
seminars
will
all
be
updated
with
the
new
information
starting
in
late
Q1
of
2017.
Q:
When
will
ACSM’s
Certification
workshops
include
the
new
content
provided
in
GETP10?
A:
The
new
content
will
begin
to
be
introduced
into
the
workshop
content
in
the
fourth
quarter
of
2016.
Students
will
also
be
informed
within
the
workshops
as
to
when
the
ACSM
certification
examinations
will
be
changed
to
reflect
the
new
content.
Q:
When
will
ACSM’s
certification
exams
be
changed
to
reflect
the
content
of
GETP10?
A:
The
ACSM
certification
exams
reflecting
the
changes
in
GETP10
will
first
be
administered
three
months
after
GETP10
is
available
for
purchase,
which
will
be
in
June
2017.
Content
and
Education-‐Related
Questions
Q:
Normally
I
rely
on
ACSM’s
Guidelines
for
Exercise
Testing
and
Prescription
(GETP)
as
the
industry-‐standard
guide
for
my
exercise
professional
practice.
How
is
this
consensus
statement
paper
different?
How
do
the
updated
recommendations
work
with
GETP?
Does
this
mean
my
current
copy
of
ACSM’s
Guidelines
for
Exercise
Testing
and
Prescription
9th
Edition
(GETP9)
is
outdated?
A:
ACSM
publishes
a
new
edition
of
GETP
every
four
years
that
serves
as
the
industry
standard
guide
for
exercise
testing
and
prescription.
Each
new
edition
has
numerous
key
updates.
During
the
four
years
in
between
the
new
editions,
guidelines,
standards
and
recommendations
from
ACSM
and
other
organizations
will
likely
change.
Any
updated
guidelines
need
to
be
used
in
conjunction
with
GETP
as
they
become
available.
It
does
not
mean
GETP9
is
outdated,
or
that
you
won’t
need
to
obtain
the
new
edition
of
GETP10
when
it
becomes
available.
This
consensus
statement
paper
reflects
just
one
change
in
ACSM’s
recommendations
regarding
the
exercise
preparticipation
health
screening.
Q:
When
will
I
be
able
to
purchase
my
copy
of
the
new
edition
of
the
Guidelines?
A:
The
10th
edition
of
ACSM’s
Guidelines
for
Exercise
Testing
and
Prescription
(GETP10)
is
scheduled
to
be
available
for
purchase
in
March
of
2017.
Q:.
What
is
ACSM
doing
to
educate
members,
certification
candidates
and
others
on
the
new
information?
A:
ACSM
will
be
providing
a
series
of
resources
including
the
consensus
statement
paper,
a
webinar,
an
infographic,
PowerPoint,
presentations,
updated
publications
and
more.
Please
visit
http://www.acsm.org/public-‐information/acsm-‐
journals/guidelines
to
find
more
information
about
these
resources.
Q:
What
is
the
timeline
for
educational
events
related
to
the
new
recommendations?
Where
will
I
have
additional
opportunities
to
learn
more?
A:
ACSM
will
be
providing
a
host
of
educational
opportunities
surrounding
the
new
recommendations.
A
timeline
of
key
milestone
events
can
be
found
below.
Resources
available
at
http://www.acsm.org/public-‐information/acsm-‐
journals/guidelines.will
be
updated
regularly,
so
check
back
often
for
new
information
regarding
events,
publications,
educational
opportunities
and
FAQ
updates.
November
2015
–
ACSM’s
Recommendations
for
Exercise
Preparticipation
Health
Screening
paper
published
in
Medicine
&
Science
in
Sports
&
Exercise.
November
2015
–
Information
kit
posted
at
http://www.acsm.org/public-‐
information/acsm-‐journals/guidelines.
Wednesday
January
13th,
2015,
1pm
eastern
time
-‐
Informational
webinar
hosted
by
ACSM,
Deborah
Riebe,
Ph.D.,
FACSM,
Carol
Garber,
Ph.D.,
FACSM,
Linda
Pescatello,
Ph.D.,
FACSM.
Register
for
the
January
2016
Informational
Webinar
at:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8549211250565520130
March
2016
–
Meet
the
authors
and
ask
questions
at
ACSM’s
Health
and
Fitness
Summit.
April
2016
–
Feature
article
in
ACSM’s
Health
and
Fitness
Journal.
Fourth
Quarter
2016-‐
New
content
will
begin
to
be
introduced
into
certification
workshops.
Students
will
also
be
informed
within
the
workshops
as
to
when
the
ACSM
certification
examinations
will
be
changed
to
reflect
the
new
content.
Spring
2017
-‐
Release
of
10th
edition
of
ACSM’s
Guidelines
for
Exercise
Testing
and
Prescription
and
related
books.
June
2017
–
Release
of
new
ACSM
certification
exams.
Q:
What
do
I
do
if
I
have
a
question
not
answered
here?
A:
For
questions
not
addressed
on
the
FAQ
please
contact
the
following
individuals:
-‐For
media,
press
and
communications-‐related
inquiries,
please
contact
Paul
Branks
at
Paul
Branks.
-‐For
publications
or
content-‐related
questions,
please
contact
Katie
Feltman
at
Katie
Feltman.
-‐For
questions
related
to
certification,
please
contact
ACSM’s
certification
department
at
Certification.
Copyright © 2015 American College of Sports Medicine. Please contact ACSM for permissions to
reproduce this document.