ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the key concepts that are essential to applying physical activity (PA) prescriptions to people with complex medical conditions. It is likely that much of the physical activity prescription takes place in a hospital or community outreach setting, with significant medical input and involvement of patients. In recognition of the medical setting, we will refer to individuals with chronic complex medical conditions as patients but acknowledge that there is a significant movement to acknowledge the ‘person’ and their ‘lived experience’ of their disease and that the disease does not define the person. This is a crucial point to recognise, as it is important to consider the whole person, not just those aspects of the disease that are affecting the individual’s health, and is more akin to an integrated approach to healthcare. In this regard, exercise physiologists, alongside the medical profession, plus the allied health professionals, will have a significant role to play when interacting with the patient (person).
