The Southern Medical Journal (SMJ) is the official, peer-reviewed journal of the Southern Medical Association. It has a multidisciplinary and inter-professional focus that covers a broad range of topics relevant to physicians and other healthcare specialists.

SMJ // Article

Original Article

Certified Athletic Trainers Are Preferred Coordinators in Sports Medicine Clinics: A Patient Survey Study

Authors: Clay Rahaman, BA, Nathaniel Buchanan, BS, Jackson Byrd, BS, Chandler Harris, BSE, Maxwell Harrell, BS, Dev Dayal, BS, Sarah Kasprow, MS, ATC, Walter Smith, MD, Eugene Brabston, MD, Thomas Evely, MD, Aaron Casp, MD, Amit Momaya, MD

Abstract

Objectives: Certified athletic trainers (ATCs) are increasingly used in sports medicine clinics. Patient comfort for ATCs as clinical coordinators has yet to be determined. This study aims to determine patient comfort with ATCs as clinical coordinators compared with registered nurses (RNs).

Methods: One hundred patients from a sports medicine clinic at a singular academic institution were recruited for a cross-sectional survey study. Patients completed a 10-question survey measuring patient comfort between ATCs and RNs in clinical tasks on a scale of 1 through 10. Demographic data of patients were collected, and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to compare medians of survey responses.

Results: The average age of respondents was 45.0 years (standard deviation 17.4), with 53% male patients. Patients were more comfortable with ATCs in performing an initial musculoskeletal (MSK) assessment, answering MSK-related questions, answering questions following orthopedic surgery, and coordinating care for an MSK injury (P < 0.01). RNs were preferred by patients for calling in medications (P < 0.001).

Conclusions: ATCs are preferred as clinical coordinators over nurses in most aspects of MSK care; however, RNs were preferred for calling in medications.

 

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