Patient Outcomes After Treatment by Athletic Therapy Students

Abstract

Context: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) should be used in athletic training but are rarely incorporated in athletic training and athletic therapy internships. Student-run clinics are common in other health professions and provide effective treatment and a valuable learning environment.1–3 To our knowledge, no one has evaluated rehabilitation outcomes in patients treated by athletic training/athletic therapy students (ATSs). Objective: The purpose of our study was to measure the improvement in function in injured patients seeking treatment at an ATS-clinic. Design: Cohort study. Setting: ATS-clinic. Participants: Fifty-nine patients from the community with a variety of low back, lower extremity, and upper extremity injuries participated in this study. Interventions: ATSs were responsible for the injury assessment and rehabilitation program of their patients while being supervised by a certified AT. Main Outcome Measures: At baseline and at 6-week follow-up, all patients completed one of three scales depending on injury location to assess their injured level of function. Scales included the: Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) for low back injuries, Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) for lower extremity injuries and Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand (DASH) for upper extremity injuries. Results: On average, patients received 4.7±1.8 treatments across 48.8±16.1 days. Patients experienced a significant increase in function between assessment and follow-up (18.8%±20.3, p<0.001,d =1.06). Moreover, the amount of functional improvement was clinically significant, being greater than the minimal clinical difference for each scale. There was no significant difference in the efficacy of treatment regarding internship experience of ATSs. Conclusions: Patients improved their function significantly after treatment delivered by an ATS. Patient-reported outcome measures were useful for the students to monitor patient improvement however, more research is needed regarding effective treatment for chronic pain patients. Our results suggest that ATS-clinics provide effective treatments for patients, service to the community, and a learning opportunity for students.

Prioritizing Patient-Centered Care when Integrating Athletic Training Students into Clinical Practice

“…In a study examining patient outcomes after treatment performed by ATSs, there was no difference in the functional improvement of the patient when comparing treatment performed by ATSs in their first clinical internship versus those in their second. 8 ATSs can provide patient care regardless of whether they are in the first or second year of their athletic training program and will benefit from gaining hands-on experience early in their education. Being able to apply skills they learn in the classroom to "real-world athletic training learning experiences" is important to the ATS's education and development of confidence in themselves and their skills.…”