The State of Clinical Exercise Physiology in the United States

Abstract

ABSTRACT The current state of the profession of clinical exercise physiology in the United States is that of evolution. Individuals now identified as clinical exercise physiologists (CEPs) first emerged in health care in the nascent cardiac rehabilitation programs in the late 1960s and have remained strongly identified in that role ever since. However, the profession has had difficulty expanding into other similar areas, largely due to the lack of standardized academic preparation. This contributes to uncertainty and confusion among other health care providers regarding appropriate roles and responsibilities for a CEP. Future directions for the profession of clinical exercise physiology include requiring certification candidates to graduate from accredited programs so the academic preparation becomes standardized. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is currently investigating modifying the eligibility criteria for the ACSM-CEP certification to address this requirement. The Clinical Exercise Physiology Association is currently assembling a writing team to draft a CEP scope of practice document for the support and endorsement of other professional organizations The last item is the strengthening or creation of liaisons with other professions to develop a collaborative care model that takes full advantage of the skillset CEPs bring to chronic disease management.