Almost 60 percent of family physicians discuss healthy lifestyle topics with most of their patients, and more than half of patients consider their primary care physician a good source of information on physical fitness, nutrition and emotional well-being.
These data come from two online surveys from AAFP's Americans in Motion fitness initiative.
FPs, Patients Take AIM Surveys
Respondents Give Preferences for Healthy Lifestyle Resources
By Jane Stoever
7/27/2005
In one AIM survey, 222 FPs gave input in May about healthy lifestyle resources that might help their patients and themselves. The other survey garnered comments from patients about resources they'd like to receive from their physicians. The survey, which patients accessed via the Academy's patient education Web site, familydoctor.org, elicited responses from 282 people between April 24 and May 24.
Survey of Physicians
As the accompanying graph indicates, 18 percent of the physicians surveyed said they discussed lifestyle choices with all their patients, and 41 percent said they discussed such topics with about three-fourths of their patients.
"The question is: Should we discuss a healthy lifestyle with all patients? If that's the premise, our numbers are low," said Timothy Tobolic, M.D., of Byron Center, Mich., chair of the AIM Advisory Panel and a member of the AAFP Commission on Public Health.
Survey respondents cited lack of time as the predominant reason they didn't talk with patients about such topics as physical fitness, nutrition and emotional well-being. "We have to find the time to do it," said Tobolic. "A lot of these topics lend themselves to group visits or community-type activities, and the survey shows we have a significant number of members (50 percent) already involved in providing community education or presentations. We have to find a way to get 'how-to' information to those who aren't."
"The question is: Should we discuss a healthy lifestyle with all patients? If that's the premise, our numbers are low," said Timothy Tobolic, M.D., of Byron Center, Mich., chair of the AIM Advisory Panel and a member of the AAFP Commission on Public Health.
Survey respondents cited lack of time as the predominant reason they didn't talk with patients about such topics as physical fitness, nutrition and emotional well-being. "We have to find the time to do it," said Tobolic. "A lot of these topics lend themselves to group visits or community-type activities, and the survey shows we have a significant number of members (50 percent) already involved in providing community education or presentations. We have to find a way to get 'how-to' information to those who aren't."
Survey of Patients
The survey for patients asked, "Do you feel that your primary physician is a good source for information" related to physical fitness, nutrition and emotional well-being? Respondents said yes in these percentages: 55 percent, physical fitness; 61 percent, nutrition; and 53 percent, emotional well-being.
"I think most of our patients should be answering yes to all three of those questions," said Tobolic. "I suspect the number of physicians who have basic knowledge of fitness, nutrition and emotional well-being is high. We have a public education problem here. To have only 53 percent saying we're a good source of information on emotional well-being -- that's disturbing."
"I think most of our patients should be answering yes to all three of those questions," said Tobolic. "I suspect the number of physicians who have basic knowledge of fitness, nutrition and emotional well-being is high. We have a public education problem here. To have only 53 percent saying we're a good source of information on emotional well-being -- that's disturbing."
Ranking of Resources
The top three resources FPs said they'd like to use in talking with patients about healthy lifestyle habits were lists of community resources, waiting room patient education materials and patient handouts in "tear pads" (like prescription pads). As for educating themselves, physicians opted for these tools: CME activities (chosen by 62 percent of respondents), Web sites (60 percent), DVDs (51 percent) and brochures (46 percent).
Patients indicated they would prefer to receive these resources (or information on them) along with their physicians' counsel: Web sites (57 percent), brochures (55 percent), magazines (33 percent), books (30 percent) and health support groups (28 percent).
The AIM to Change toolkit will, when it becomes available later this summer, provide some of the types of materials physicians and patients said they preferred. Call (800) 944-0000 to reserve your copy. Meanwhile, the AIM Web site links to many resources and will add others soon. "AIM is pretty much on track with what physicians want and what patients want," said Tobolic.
Patients indicated they would prefer to receive these resources (or information on them) along with their physicians' counsel: Web sites (57 percent), brochures (55 percent), magazines (33 percent), books (30 percent) and health support groups (28 percent).
The AIM to Change toolkit will, when it becomes available later this summer, provide some of the types of materials physicians and patients said they preferred. Call (800) 944-0000 to reserve your copy. Meanwhile, the AIM Web site links to many resources and will add others soon. "AIM is pretty much on track with what physicians want and what patients want," said Tobolic.
