Publication
Clinical gyms : a step towards preventive medicine
| Summary: | Preventive medicine is becoming increasingly important in the health sector. In parallel, two trends are shaping the shift in the healthcare industry: chronic diseases are affecting a bigger proportion of the population, whereas the overall society is increasingly aware of the importance of physical exercise. Thus, in this dissertation, we studied the creation of a new service: a Clinical Gym. This service combines the medical and health expertise of a Doctor with the training knowledge of a sports-related professional, aiming to create a tailor-made training plan for patients, while taking into consideration any medical conditions. We gathered 735 answers to surveys directed at prospective clients, Doctors and sports-related professionals, through which we could evaluate the need, the interest and the target of this new venture. Through our analysis we concluded that exists both a need and interest in this new service, since the majority of the three parties involved recognize the advantages that Clinical Gyms can bring: 63% of the end-users, 72% of Doctors and 65% of sports related professionals, are at least very interested in attending or providing this service. Additionally, we designed a brief business plan to validate the financial viability of Clinical Gyms. Our results seem encouraging to the pursuit of this business opportunity, although the analysis shall be deepened. |
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| Main Authors: | Branco, Maria Gil Ferreira Martins |
| Subject: | Clinical gyms Healthcare Gyms New business opportunities Entrepreneurship Ginásios clínicos Saúde Ginásios Novas oportunidades de negócio Empreendedorismo |
| Year: | 2020 |
| Country: | Portugal |
| Document type: | master thesis |
| Access type: | open access |
| Associated institution: | Universidade Católica Portuguesa |
| Language: | English |
| Origin: | Veritati - Repositório Institucional da Universidade Católica Portuguesa |
| Summary: | Preventive medicine is becoming increasingly important in the health sector. In parallel, two trends are shaping the shift in the healthcare industry: chronic diseases are affecting a bigger proportion of the population, whereas the overall society is increasingly aware of the importance of physical exercise. Thus, in this dissertation, we studied the creation of a new service: a Clinical Gym. This service combines the medical and health expertise of a Doctor with the training knowledge of a sports-related professional, aiming to create a tailor-made training plan for patients, while taking into consideration any medical conditions. We gathered 735 answers to surveys directed at prospective clients, Doctors and sports-related professionals, through which we could evaluate the need, the interest and the target of this new venture. Through our analysis we concluded that exists both a need and interest in this new service, since the majority of the three parties involved recognize the advantages that Clinical Gyms can bring: 63% of the end-users, 72% of Doctors and 65% of sports related professionals, are at least very interested in attending or providing this service. Additionally, we designed a brief business plan to validate the financial viability of Clinical Gyms. Our results seem encouraging to the pursuit of this business opportunity, although the analysis shall be deepened. |
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