Practical applications of the Sports Medicine Australia pre-exercise screening system (2005) in a fitness centre setting

The recently released pre-exercise screening system (PESS) from Sports Medicine Australia is an important tool for facilitating safe practice in exercise testing and prescription by exercise professionals. This opinion piece argues that despite the obvious need for nationally uniform guidelines for the screening process, the PESS still has some limitations. The major points for discussion include the need for guidelines regarding the minimum qualifications/knowledge required to adequately administer the PESS, and of the dilemma that may arise in a fitness centre or community setting when the client has no knowledge of the haematological information required for accurate identification of level of risk. Consequently, there is a need for further discussion and possible revision to ensure the successful use of the PESS in a community setting. © 2007.