Technical Requirements for Clinical Exercise Physiologists as Qualified Health Professionals

Abstract

Apply It! • Readers will be able to advocate for the field of clinical exercise physiology with an enhanced understanding of the current state of the profession. • Readers will have a platform to have discussions with other allied health professionals to increase awareness of the role of a clinical exercise physiologist in a health care setting.

FITT Safety: Focusing on Intensity and Type

“…Managers/owners may need to provide education and training for new hires and assess their competence before having them instruct participants. In addition, they should have policies and procedures in place regarding the credentials and competence required for their employees who will be teaching participants with medical conditions as described in a recent article published in this Journal (10). When training new hires, managers also should emphasize the importance of the benefit-to-risk ratio that exercise professionals need to consider when working with all participants.…”

The Pathway to Certification: Steps and Recommendations for ACSM Clinical Exercise Physiologist® Examination Preparation

“…According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook, the number of jobs for CEPs by 2031 is growing 9% faster than average, with a good outlook for employment (2). Recently, there has been great effort from ACSM and partner organizations to advocate for the recognition of the CEP as a qualified healthcare professional (QHP), which is one of several steps toward becoming eligible for reimbursement by the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) or insurance companies (3).…”

Exercise professional education, qualifications, and certifications: a content analysis of job postings in the United States

“…The accreditation standards set by CoAES, CAAHEP, and CASCE have played a crucial role in shaping the job market for exercise physiologists to help ensure graduates from accredited programs possess the necessary skills and knowledge to meet the demands of the evolving field, as well as provide required credentialing to sit for specific certification exams (i.e., American College of Sports Medicine Certified Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-CEP) (9) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) (10). And yet, despite a highly structured curriculum and certification pipeline, as well as detailed technical requirements required to be recognized as qualified health professionals (1,5,11,12), it is not well understood what specific credentials employers are seeking when hiring exercise physiologists.…”