Physical activity assessment, prescription and referral in US healthcare: How do we make this a standard of clinical practice?

Numerous guidelines and recommendations reinforce the important role of healthcare providers promoting physical activity (PA) through assessment, prescription, and referral. This paper summarizes what is required to accomplish these actions as a standard of care. The sections describe the importance of measurement development and standardization, the integration of PA into the care continuum, suggested roles and responsibilities for the healthcare team, the role of technology and telehealth in promoting PA, connecting patients to different PA modalities and settings, a summary of the overall regulatory and policy plan to accomplish integration of PA into delivery of care, and areas for future research. Integrating PA assessment, prescription, and referral into delivery of care requires a multi-stakeholder, coordinated effort with government agencies, payers, non-governmental organizations, professional societies, the United States Congress, state legislatures, healthcare systems, and the healthcare industry.