Quality Standards for Diabetes Care Toolkit

Implementation examples / innovations

UCOL U-Kinetics

The UCOL U-Kinetics Exercise and Wellness Centre is an innovative approach to providing specialist exercise physiology services to clients with a range of medical conditions (including type 1 and 2 diabetes) or musculo-skeletal injuries, using highly qualified clinical exercise physiologists, in conjunction with UCOL postgraduate clinical exercise physiology students.
Clients complete specialised exercise assessments and undertake personalised and highly supervised exercise programmes delivered in a safe, state-of-the-art facility. Data from the referral letter, initial consultation (including questionnaire results), and exercise assessment are essential for knowing the client’s current state of health and how to safely exercise the client in the clinic through identification of their exercise symptom limits. The exercise assessment includes a range of measures, including submaximal exercise testing (with resting and exercise 12lead ECG), blood pressure responses, body composition, balance, and for diabetics, acute blood glucose responses to exercise.
Clients are prescribed a 12-week supervised exercise programme, incorporating components of aerobic fitness, strength, balance and flexibility. At each session, the clients are checked before, during and following each session – for people with diabetes, this includes measurement of blood glucose level, heart rate, blood pressure, and other measures depending on their comorbidities (eg, 30-second ECG if cardiac problems, pulse oximetry if respiratory issues), along with utilising scales during exercise, such as perceived exertion, to ensure they are responding appropriately to their exercise workload. During their programme at U-Kinetics clients are encouraged to learn and understand ‘their numbers’ (glucose levels, blood pressure, exertion levels, etc) and how lifestyle changes can improve their self-management of their condition, and minimise risk of future complications.
U-Kinetics is an innovative and unique collaboration between UCOL, MidCentral District Health Board (DHB) and The Back Institute (TBI) Health, combining education and health, and collaboration between both public and private providers with a focus on achieving significant health outcomes for all clients. For diabetes, there is a close working relationship with both the MidCentral DHB Diabetes and Endocrinology Service and the diabetes services for the Central Primary Health Organisation (PHO). U-Kinetics is a demonstration site for Health Workforce NZ, showcasing the role of an exercise specialist within health and rehabilitation, and it provides an excellent learning environment for both clients and UCOL postgraduate students. The knowledge and skills that graduates of the programme have obtained will enable them to play an important role within the community, utilising exercise to help clients manage their chronic medical conditions and injuries.
For further information: www.u-kinetics.co.nz/.