Exploring the role of healthcare partners in referrals to a community-based exercise program with a healthcare-community partnership designed for people with balance and mobility limitations.

Abstract

To explore how healthcare partners in community-based exercise programs for people with balance and mobility limitations perceive and enact referral in the context of their role. We conducted a descriptive, qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews and reflexive thematic analysis. Twelve healthcare partners from the Together In Movement and Exercise (TIME^TM) program completed interviews. Seven (58%) participants were clinicians and 5 (42%) held non-clinical roles. The most common professional background of participants was physical therapy (<i>n</i> = 9, 75%). Clinicians made direct referrals while non-clinical participants facilitated referral by promoting the program. The main theme was healthcare partners perceive their role in referrals as secondary to their role as educators and trainers. Subthemes were: (1) healthcare partners fulfill educator and trainer roles when conducting formal training of instructors, educating instructors during program visits, and fielding questions; (2) almost all healthcare partners facilitate referral by sharing program information formally and informally; and (3) healthcare partners in clinical practice make direct referrals depending on the clientele. Healthcare partners perceive their roles as educators and trainers as taking precedence over their role in referrals. Findings can be used to guide selection and training of healthcare partners, design of clinical education programs, and research on competencies.