Project R-13588

Implementation of the EXPERT tool to optimize exercise prescription in the rehabilitaton of persons with cardiometabolic disease in private physiotherapy practices (Research)

Exercise training, as part of multidisciplinary rehabilitation, is a keystone in the secondary prevention of cardiometabolic disease. It leads to improved cardiovascular risk factor control, physical fitness and quality of life, and hereby reduces hospitalization rates, healthcare expenses and premature death. However, it is frequently shown by this research group that exercise prescriptions in clinical practice (including in primary care physicians and physiotherapists in the first line) very often disagree with European rehabilitation guidelines (European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC)), leading to suboptimal/inappropriate programs. The aim of this project is therefore to implement guideline-based exercise prescription via the EXPERT tool, which is a digital decision support system for exercise prescription to patients with cardiometabolic disease, built by UHasselt and >30 experts from nine European countries and endorsed by the EAPC, in BELGIAN private physiotherapy practices. The EXPERT tool integrates ESC/EAPC exercise recommendations for 12 cardiometabolic diseases and five cardiovascular risk factors, taking into account the patient's physical fitness, chronic non-cardiovascular diseases (e.g. COPD, etc., n=4) and medication intake

01 January 2023 - 15 December 2024