Vomer Rock P, York Emma, Kalkbrenner Michael T, Kershaw Zachary, Seemann LaRae L, Pujalte George G A
Departent of Family and Community Health, Department of Orthopedics, Division of Sports Medicine, Duke University, Durham, USA.
Family Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, USA.
Cureus. 2022 Dec 27;14(12):e32995. doi: 10.7759/cureus.32995. eCollection 2022 Dec.
Hiring athletic trainers (ATs) in high schools has attracted rising interest as a potential way of improving adolescents' health by enhancing their safety and reducing their risk of injury.
This study aims to determine if there is a difference in the referral patterns, injury diagnoses, and injury treatments performed at a metropolitan high school when an AT is employed versus not employed by the school.
This is a retrospective quantitative two-period study.
The study was conducted in the high school athletic department in Norfolk, Virginia, and the study population was high school athletes (age 14-18).
Changes in referral patterns, injury diagnoses, and injury treatments performed at a local high school when an AT is employed versus not employed by the school; specifically, we examined the number of and percent changes in yearly treatments, referrals, evaluations, and re-evaluations during the two periods.
Our first t-test revealed a statistically significant increase in the number of reported injuries between 2011-2015 (M = 58.00, SD = 44.86) and 2016-2020 (M = 299.00, SD = 40.93, p = 0.006. The second t-test revealed a statistically significant increase in the number of referrals between 2011-2015 (M = 249.00, SD = 353.41) and 2016-2020 (M = 1188.00, SD = 158.21), p = 0.014. The third t-test revealed a statistically significant increase in the number of treatment items between 2011-2015 (M = 150.67, SD = 175.32) and 2016-2020 (M = 636.67, SD = 211.72), p = 0.01.
The present study found an increased frequency of reported injuries, referrals, and treatment after ATs directly joined the staff of a large metropolitan high school. These findings suggest that direct employment of ATs is associated with greater recording of injuries and treatment of conditions. A reduction in referrals occurs with the presence of directly employed ATs, which could result in improved health for student-athletes, but this needs further study.
在高中雇佣运动训练师（AT）作为一种通过增强青少年安全性和降低受伤风险来改善其健康状况的潜在方式，已引起越来越多的关注。
本研究旨在确定在一所大都市高中，雇佣AT与未雇佣AT时，在转诊模式、损伤诊断和损伤治疗方面是否存在差异。
这是一项回顾性定量两阶段研究。
该研究在弗吉尼亚州诺福克的高中体育部门进行，研究对象为高中运动员（年龄14 - 18岁）。
在一所当地高中，雇佣AT与未雇佣AT时转诊模式、损伤诊断和损伤治疗的变化；具体而言，我们检查了两个时期内每年治疗、转诊、评估和重新评估的数量及百分比变化。
我们的第一次t检验显示，2011 - 2015年（M = 58.00，SD = 44.86）和2016 - 2020年（M = 299.00，SD = 40.93，p = 0.006）报告的损伤数量有统计学显著增加。第二次t检验显示，2011 - 2015年（M = 249.00，SD = 353.41）和2016 - 2020年（M = 1188.00，SD = 158.21）转诊数量有统计学显著增加，p = 0.014。第三次t检验显示，2011 - 2015年（M = 150.67，SD = 175.32）和2016 - 2020年（M = 636.67，SD = 2i1.72）治疗项目数量有统计学显著增加，p = 0.01。
本研究发现，在AT直接加入一所大型大都市高中的工作人员队伍后，报告的损伤、转诊和治疗频率增加。这些发现表明，直接雇佣AT与更多的损伤记录和病情治疗相关。直接雇佣的AT的存在会使转诊减少，这可能会改善学生运动员的健康状况，但这需要进一步研究。
