There is a prominent need to include high-quality educational content within professional athletic training programs relevant to the unique needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) patients. Although the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Standards for Professional Programs details the requirement for diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice education (DEI 1 and 2), there is no specific requirement to include LGBTQIA+ content within the curriculum. To detail a cased-based learning strategy to implement LGBTQIA+ content related to the social determinants of health within the curriculum. Athletic trainers and other healthcare professions have reported a lack in educational opportunities that would prepare them to competently provide care to LGBTQIA+ patients. This case scenario, and associated discussion and debrief questions, explores the intersection of minority stress and social determinants of health that negatively affect the health and well-being of an LGBTQIA+ patient, particularly in the secondary school setting. Integrating active learning strategies allows students to engage in active thinking, group discussion, and clinical decision-making that prepare them better for clinical practice than passive learning strategies. Intentional inclusion of LGBTQIA+ content within the curriculum will better prepare students to provide culturally competent care to LGBTQIA+ patients while fostering cultural humility.Context
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Since the consensus statement on relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) was released in 2014, little research has been done to increase awareness to expand prevention and early detection efforts. Collegiate athletes have a high risk for the health and performance consequences of REDs due to busy schedules and social pressures, yet knowledge about the syndrome is limited among collegiate athletic staff. As integral members of the support staff for college athletes, it is important for athletic trainers (ATs) to have a strong understanding of REDs and an ability to recognize potential risk factors to play a role in prevention and early detection. To provide prevention and intervention strategies for REDs in college athletes. The goal of this curriculum is to offer standardized REDs education to collegiate ATs so they can more easily identify at-risk athletes. With proper training, ATs can refer these athletes to appropriate medical professionals for evaluation and treatment. Registered dietitians (RDs) can use this technique to educate collegiate ATs about REDs. Athletic trainers can help bridge the gap between college athletes and the limited access they have to an RD. Early referral to a sports medicine physician and RD for further evaluation and treatment increases athletes’ health and ability to excel in their sport. This curriculum in particular bridges the gap between scientific literature and commercial programs designed to spread awareness of REDs. Increasing REDs awareness with this novel curriculum could help athletes avoid injury and illness, including potential long-term health consequences of REDs.Context
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Athletic training educators are tasked with designing experiences that meet the standards set forth by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education standards and foster student engagement and learning, including the new standards on quality improvement (QI) and quality assurance, communication, and advocacy. As newer curricular content standards, many educators are exploring ways to engage students in these processes in meaningful, engaging ways. Describe an educational experience for students to engage in a real-time QI project aimed to improve campus access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs). This project focused on QI in AED access and time-to-shock for out-of-hospital survival rates in sudden cardiac arrest. AEDs should be available and administered within 2 to 3 minutes of collapse to improve out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest survival rates. Using the Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle for QI, students engaged in a structured real-life QI project as part of coursework and in-class activities. As a multiyear, continuous project various cohorts got to learn and build off previously completed work to improve campus access to AEDs. This project can be completed in a didactic or clinical setting. Various Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education standards were taught and assessed while providing students with the real-life experience and hands on experiences grounded in the social constructivism learning theory. Creating real-life learning experiences for students to engage in a QI project centered around campus access for AEDs improves student learning of QI, emergency preparedness, and advocacy through real-life, problem-based activities and highlights the impact athletic trainers and athletic training students can have on campus safety plans.Context
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Athletic training students, part of the broader healthcare system, are expected to maintain knowledge and skill levels, including reflection. Once graduated, students need to continuously evaluate themselves as clinicians, thus requiring some skill in reflecting at different levels. To examine athletic training students’ level of reflective thinking in academic programs. Cross-sectional study. Web-based survey. Athletic training students (N = 126) currently enrolled in professional bachelor’s, professional master’s, postprofessional master’s, clinical doctorate, research doctorate, or residency/fellowship programs. Participants rated the 16-item Likert-style Reflective Thinking Survey on their experiences in their current program. The items were subdivided into 4 subscales: habitual action, understanding, reflection, and critical reflection. We used the Kruskal-Wallis test to assess individual items against participants’ current academic programs, followed by Mann-Whitney U post hoc tests due to nonnormality. We found differences between “In this course, we do things so many times that I started doing them without thinking about it” (H4 = 21.79, P < .001) and “This course has challenged some of my firmly held ideas” (H4 = 15.83, P = .003). Post hoc analysis showed differences on “…do things so many times…without thinking…” between professional bachelor’s and postprofessional master’s students (U = 20.50, P = .001), professional bachelor’s and clinical doctorate students (U = 135.0, P = .003), and professional master’s and postprofessional master’s students (U = 56.5, P < .001). Differences were found between professional bachelor’s and clinical doctorate students (U = 131.0, P = .003) and between professional master’s and clinical doctorate students (U = 158.0, P < .001) on the item “…challenged some of my firmly held ideas.” Professional-level students reflected more on firmly held ideas, indicating more challenge with new knowledge exposure. Educators should, themselves, reflect on their goals when evaluating for a certain level of reflection and consider their program’s overall goals for preparing future and current athletic training students for practice.Context
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Adopting diverse perspectives is increasingly important for athletic trainers (ATs) to provide care that fosters inclusion for all patients. Despite the NATA’s commitment to diversity, NATA membership remains approximately 80% White. Additionally, although ATs work with people from ethnically diverse backgrounds with unique body expression and body-size characteristics, it is unknown whether athletic training textbooks represent this diversity. To investigate diversity characteristics of images including patients and clinicians within athletic training textbooks. Cross-sectional study. Twenty percent (n = 15) of athletic training and health care textbooks included on the Board of Certification reference list were selected. Twenty percent of chapters from those textbooks were then randomly selected for inclusion. Descriptive statistics were calculated for person (athlete, nonathlete, clinician), setting (athletic venue, clinic, physician office, other), and demographic categories (perceived skin tone, race/ethnicity, age, gender, body size, body expression). Chi-square tests of goodness of fit were performed to determine significant differences between categories, and χ2 tests of independence were performed to determine differences across person type and category and across textbook domain and category. One thousand six hundred sixty-seven people were assessed from 1190 images. Images depicted statistically more persons with light skin tone (86%) assumed to be White (86%), young adults (75%) of average weight (95%), with no body expression diversity (95%). There were no major differences in subject characteristic majorities across person type or textbook domain. Like other health care professions, a lack of image diversity was demonstrated within athletic training textbooks. To better recruit diverse students to the athletic training profession, and to prepare professional students to provide culturally competent and patient-centered care, these resources should better represent the diversity of ATs and their patients.Context
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Reciprocal agreements allow members of both the Board of Certification and the Canadian Athletic Therapy Association to practice after passing the certification exams. For both, there is an initial baseline level of emergency management (EM) knowledge. A high level of decay among skills and knowledge occurs when not used or reviewed. The purpose of this study was to identify a definition of EM as well as themes relating to perspectives on EM maintenance requirements in athletic trainers and athletic therapists, as these appear to be absent from the current research base. Qualitative study. Individual interviews. A purposeful sampling method recruited 10 participants (5 from Canada and 5 from the United States; 4 men and 6 women; 4 academics and 6 clinicians; 2 to 35 years of experience) with content expertise in EM. The primary investigator conducted interviews, which were recorded, transcribed, and checked for accuracy. Interviews were evaluated through consensual qualitative analysis for themes, subthemes, and quotes. Triangulation occurred, and data saturation was reached by the tenth interview. Four main themes emerged: (1) a definition of EM, (2) EM as a foundational skill, (3) efforts to gain and maintain knowledge and skills, and (4) perceptions regarding requiring a higher-level certification. We have identified a thematic definition of EM and established EM as a foundational skill set. Participants emphasized practice for gaining and maintaining proficiencies in EM; however, no consensus on higher-level certification was reached. With the thematic definition of EM identified, the focus shifts to investigating effects of personal practice on knowledge and skill levels. This study found that recertification timelines exceed timelines for knowledge and skill decay. Clinicians and academics agree that frequent personal practice is preferred over formal continuing education for maintenance of best practice.Context
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Immersive clinical education experiences (ImCEs) are a recent addition to the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education standards. As such, there is little information on how athletic training programs design and implement ImCEs into the curriculum. The purpose of this study was to explore the structure of ImCEs among athletic training programs and practices relating to identifying and developing ImCEs. Cross-sectional study. Web-based survey. A total of 103 of 265 Coordinators of Clinical Education for Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education-accredited professional programs participated (women = 69, men = 29, 4 = prefer not to disclose, 1 = unanswered). Coordinators of Clinical Education provided information about their program, timing and length of ImCEs, and the settings used. Program practices for preceptor selection and development, curricular design for simultaneous didactic coursework, and resources available to students were also investigated. The average number of ImCEs was 1.9, with a length of 4 to 28 weeks. Most programs have the first ImCE in the second year and primarily rely on college/university and secondary school settings. Programs reporting ImCEs less than 4 weeks in length and those requiring synchronous coursework during clinical immersion are of concern. Athletic training programs are integrating ImCEs in a variety of ways. There may be confusion as to best practices and Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education requirements for ImCEs.Context
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Digital health represents a transformative shift in health care, emphasizing patient-centric outcomes over mere technological advancements. Digital health tools include artificial intelligence, telehealth, augmented or virtual reality, wearables and sensors, and electronic health records to enhance patient care and outcomes. However, challenges persist in preparing future health care providers for this evolving landscape, particularly in athletic training programs. To explore current trends in integrating digital health tools within professional athletic training programs. Specifically, we assessed educators’ teaching practices related to digital and computer skills, their anxiety toward technology, and the incorporation of digital health tools in both classroom and clinical settings. Cross-sectional study. Online survey. One hundred twenty-eight athletic training educators from Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education–accredited professional athletic training programs. Between February 2024 and April 2024, participants completed an online survey that explored teaching practices, technology anxiety using the Abbreviated Technology Anxiety Scale, and integration of digital health tools. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Findings indicated that a significant portion of educators needed to be teaching foundational computer literacy or digital health equity. Most participants expressed low to mild technology anxiety. Although educators are open to adopting digital health tools, only 45% had previous preparation in digital health, suggesting a need for formal faculty training in this area. Despite this, there was a high level of interest in integrating digital health tools into curricula, though uncertainty remained about expanding Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education standards related to digital health. The study highlights a gap between the rapid advancement of digital health technologies and the current educational practices in athletic training programs. Enhanced instructional strategies and continued professional development focused on digital health tools are needed to prepare future providers. Addressing these gaps will ensure that emerging technologies are effectively integrated into athletic training education and future patient care.Context
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Cultural knowledge and skills are essential for all health care professionals. With evolving patient demographics, all providers must be equipped to adapt to a variety of cultures to provide patient-centered care. Investigate athletic training students’ (ATSs’) current cultural awareness, sensitivity, and behavior levels and determine if their knowledge after a diversity educational intervention increases their ability to provide culturally competent care. Cross-sectional study. Private Division III institution. First-, second-, and third-year students enrolled in an accredited master’s athletic training program. A paired samples t test determined a significant change between ATS Cultural Competence Assessment Inventory scores before and after the intervention. Athletic training students demonstrated higher levels of cultural competence after the intervention. Group 1, ATSs who completed the entire intervention, showed increased cultural awareness and sensitivity (CAS; P = .03) and cultural competence behavior (CCB; P = .02) scores after the intervention. Group 2, ATSs who partially completed the intervention, revealed no difference in CAS scores (P = .50) but showed increased CCB (P = .001) scores after the intervention. Lastly, Group 3, ATSs who did not complete the intervention, showed no statistical difference in CAS (P = .21) and CCB (P = .25) scores. Evidence has shown that diversity training may be a successful tool to increase cultural competence. ATSs who fully or partially completed the intervention can demonstrate culturally congruent practice. Providing culturally competent care is a continual process, and therefore, access to diversity education within the curricula may help increase outcomes among ATSs.Context
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Reliability and Validity of the Functional Assessment of Neurocognition in Sport (FANS): A Paradigm Shift in Post-Concussion Return-to-Sport Decision-Making
Driving After Concussion: Clinical Measures Associated with Post-concussion
The role of shoulder posture in pitching mechanics and injury risk in high school baseball pitchers
Corticospinal Excitability during Standing and Its Association with Postural Control Following Acute Lateral Ankle Sprain.
The socio-economic cost of anterior cruciate ligament injuries and lateral ankle sprains in amateur football and basketball.
JAT eISSN: 1938-162X
JAT ISSN: 1062-6050
ATEJ ISSN: 1947-380X