Physician Satisfaction With Residency-Trained Athletic Trainers as Physician Extenders

Abstract

Athl etic trainers (ATs) have historically functioned in a physician extender role when managing the health of competitive athletes in high school, collegiate, and professional settings. A high level of expertise in the prevention and management of musculoskeletal disorders among physically active individuals has been recognized by physicians who have chosen to utilize ATs as physician extenders in orthopedic and sports medicine clinical operations. The development of postprofessional residency programs that provide specialized education and clinical experiences to prepare ATs to effectively function as orthopedic physician extenders has greatly facilitated physician acceptance of the role, which has dramatically increased the number of ATs working in the orthopedic clinical setting. 1-2 Such residency programs provide ATs with experience in taking detailed patient histories, performing thorough patient exams, and presenting the findings to the attending physician for delivery of efficient and patient-centered care. The physician can focus on making the diagnosis and developing a plan of care, while relying on the AT to provide appropriate therapeutic exercise instructions, educate the patient about the plan of care, and complete specific components of the clinical documentation. [1][2] Previous studies have demonstrated that utilization of the residency-trained AT physician extender (AT-PE) has increased clinical efficiency (i.e., patient volume and revenue generation) and improved patient outcomes. 3-5 Physician satisfaction with this approach to delivery of orthopedic clinical services has not been previously documented. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess physician satisfaction with the performance of residency-trained AT-PEs in the delivery of orthopedic clinical services. Procedures and FindingsA list of orthopedic clinical practices that have employed AT-PEs who completed one of the 8 existing residency programs was used to identify potential participants in this study. With Institutional Review Board approval, surveys were emailed to 40 sports medicine fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons and primary care physicians in 11 different states. The response rate was 88% (35/40).A web-based electronic survey was created that included 2 demographic "Yes/ No" questions and 8 Likert-type ratings of degree of satisfaction with the performance Physicians are satisfied with athletic trainers who function as physician extenders.Physicians perceive athletic trainersphysician extenders (AT-PEs) as an asset to their clinical operations.Physicians perceive AT-PEs as skilled providers of orthopedic clinical services.

Development of a Rural Family Practice Rotation in an Athletic Training Residency Program

“…Previous studies have found ATs functioning in the physician clinic setting increase clinical efficiency by 15%-30% 1,3-6 (ie, patient volume and revenue generation), improve patient outcomes, 16 and increase physician satisfaction. 2,5,7 A recent article revealed that patients compared ATs with orthopaedic medical residents in both perceived level of musculoskeletal knowledge and patient care. 8 Health care changes placing more emphasis on preventive care make the AT an ideal fit for filling the gap reported in primary care access.…”

“…Athletic trainers in the physician practice setting have gained significant recognition and popularity in the health care community in recent years. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] The development of postprofessional programs that provide advanced experience and education in the physician practice model has given ATs the opportunity to learn how to function effectively and efficiently in this setting. The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) has developed standards 9 that guide the didactic and clinical experiences for postprofessional residency (PPR) programs within a clinical area of focus.…”

Self-Funding a Postprofessional Athletic Training Residency

“…[1][2][3] The development of postprofessional athletic training residencies (PP-ATRs) has given athletic trainers the opportunity to advance their skills. The goal of the athletic training residency is to provide advanced preparation of athletic training practitioners through a planned program of clinical and didactic education in specialized content areas using an evidence-based approach to enhance the quality of patient care, optimize patient outcomes, and improve patients' health-related quality of life.…”

“…1,3,[9][10][11][12][13][14] The use of athletic trainers in the orthopaedic clinic setting has grown exponentially over the last decade. [1][2][3][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] Educational programming offered in PP-ATR build upon the athletic trainers' foundational knowledge in CE, preparing them be effective clinicians when entering the workforce.…”

Hiring Patterns of Athletic Trainers in Ambulatory Care Settings

“…5 ATs not only increased throughput, but also improved patient satisfaction; increases in their self-reported health levels as well as improved quality of life for physicians were noted. 6,7 ATs may be contributing to improved productivity because athletic training skill sets are well-aligned with the needs of the patients seen in ambulatory care settings. For example, patients seen in orthopedic practices may require care for a musculoskeletal condition, which is one of the domains of education for ATs.…”