Key Factors for Providing Appropriate Medical Care in Secondary School Athletics: Athletic Training Services and Budget

Wham, George; Saunders, Ruth P.; Mensch, James M.

doi:10.4085/1062-6050-45.1.75

Cited by 28 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…23,24 High schools that directly contracted with ATs had higher levels of care based on Appropriate Care Index scores than schools that contracted with ATs through outside sources (ie, clinics, hospitals). 24 This observation was attributed to differences in hours of availability to student-athletes; those hired directly by the high school were not restricted to hours spent working for the contracting agency. 24,25 These results showed a clear value in employing an AT in a high school.…”

Section: Lack Of Powermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…24 This observation was attributed to differences in hours of availability to student-athletes; those hired directly by the high school were not restricted to hours spent working for the contracting agency. 24,25 These results showed a clear value in employing an AT in a high school. However, administrators (school boards and superintendents) with the power to hire staff need to become more aware of this benefit.…”

Section: Lack Of Powermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Even if an AD presents a case for hiring an AT, the school board frequently votes against it due to the current state of public education funding. Identifying budget as a major qualitative theme or barrier to hiring an AT combined with the data of Wham 24 in 2010 may provide enough support for administrators and state legislators to justify the allocation of funds to employing ATs in high schools. Athletic directors need to continue to advocate for hiring ATs despite budgetary constraints and continue to educate parents, school boards, and superintendents about the effects that an AT can have on the student-athlete's wellbeing and medical care.…”

Section: Budget Concernsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…9,23 The recommendation seemed largely anecdotal until 2010. Wham 24 used the Appropriate Care Index based on the ''Appropriate Medical Care for Secondary School-Aged Athletes'' consensus statement to quantitatively correlate higher levels of medical care with the employment of ATs. 23,24 High schools that directly contracted with ATs had higher levels of care based on Appropriate Care Index scores than schools that contracted with ATs through outside sources (ie, clinics, hospitals).…”

Section: Lack Of Powermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wham 24 used the Appropriate Care Index based on the ''Appropriate Medical Care for Secondary School-Aged Athletes'' consensus statement to quantitatively correlate higher levels of medical care with the employment of ATs. 23,24 High schools that directly contracted with ATs had higher levels of care based on Appropriate Care Index scores than schools that contracted with ATs through outside sources (ie, clinics, hospitals). 24 This observation was attributed to differences in hours of availability to student-athletes; those hired directly by the high school were not restricted to hours spent working for the contracting agency.…”

Section: Lack Of Powermentioning

confidence: 99%

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Athletic Directors' Barriers to Hiring Athletic Trainers in High Schools

Mazerolle

Raso

Pagnotta

et al. 2015

Journal of Athletic Training

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Context In its best-practices recommendation, the Inter-Association Task Force for Preventing Sudden Death in Secondary School Athletics Programs urged all high schools to have a certified athletic trainer (AT) on staff. Despite the recommendation, many high schools lack the medical services of an AT. Objective To examine the barriers that athletic directors (ADs) face in hiring ATs in public high schools and in providing medical coverage for their student-athletes. Design Qualitative study. Setting Semistructured telephone interviews. Patients or Other Participants Twenty full-time public high school ADs (17 men, 3 women) from various geographical regions of the United States (6 North, 4 South, 4 Midwest, 6 West) participated. Data saturation guided the total number of participants. Data Collection and Analysis We completed telephone interviews guided by a semistructured questionnaire with all participants. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Multiple-analyst triangulation and peer review were included as steps to establish data credibility. We analyzed the data using the principles of the general inductive approach. Results We identified 3 themes. Lack of power represented the inability of an AD to hire an AT, which was perceived to be a responsibility of the superintendent and school board. Budget concerns pertained to the funding allocated to specific resources within a school, which often did not include an AT. Nonbudget concerns represented rural locations without clinics or hospitals nearby; misconceptions about the role of an AT, which led to the belief that first-aid–trained coaches are appropriate medical providers; and community support from local clinics, hospitals, and volunteers. Conclusions Many ADs would prefer to employ ATs in their schools; however, they perceive that they are bound by the hiring and budgeting decisions of superintendents and school boards. Public school systems are experiencing the consequences of national budget cuts and often do not have the freedom to hire ATs when other school staff are being laid off.

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