A decade on: successes and future directions for integrating physical activity into healthcare curricula in the UK and EU

Abstract

In 2014, as part of the outcomes from the inaugural World Heart Federations Emerging Leaders’ work,1 a network of collaborators and change agents set about strengthening the capacity of healthcare professionals (HCPs) to support patients and communities to be more physically active. The intent was to influence the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and poor health, in the context of research demonstrating that even brief physical activity advice during routine consultations can translate to significant clinical outcomes.2 The community of practice3 aim was simple: to upskill, through capacity building, key frontline professionals of any healthcare discipline to be more confident, capable and competent in implementing interventions to mitigate NCDs. This included enabling HCPs to promote greater physical activity by their patients and use their leadership influence to effect wide-scale change in society.4 Previous initiatives across UK medical and health schools to access free physical activity and health resources and implement them through curriculum change resulted in slow and inconsistent uptake. Similar suboptimal outcomes were reflected in other countries.5 However, in 2019, the European Union (EU) ERASMUS+Virtual Advice, Nurturing, Guidance on Universal Action, Research and Development for physical activity and sport engagement (VANGUARD) project enabled five European schools of medicine (and one UK-based physiotherapy school) to embed bespoke resources, secure academic support and empower future HCPs. The VANGUARD project objectives were to: 1. Embed physical activity in the EU undergraduate curricula of future frontline HCPs (medical doctors and subsequently allied health professions) in these six European countries to help promote and sustain health. 2. Foster meaningful collaborative partnerships in the implementation, methodology and evaluation of physical activity in the EU curricula of future frontline HCPs. 3. Develop an at-scale approach, led by future HCPs, in the critical role of physical activity/sport in the prevention and treatment …