Announcement
I am writing to announce a new and exciting partnership for the Journal of Athletic Training (JAT). The Journal is now the official journal of Athletic Rehabilitation Therapy Ireland (ARTI). As our readers know, JAT has been the official journal of the Taiwan Athletic Trainers' Society and the Japan Athletic Trainers' Organization for many years. In welcoming ARTI, JAT, the Athletic Training Education Journal (ATEJ), and the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) will identify and pursue new and wonderful opportunities for international collaborations in research, education, and practice.
This past summer, I had the privilege of visiting Dublin City University (DCU) and learning more about athletic training education and research there. This is an exciting time for athletic training in Ireland as an emerging health care profession. Against the backdrop of the rich sport culture of Ireland, ARTI will continue to grow and make important contributions to the profession of athletic training. I am hopeful that ARTI members will view JAT and the ATEJ as the preferred publications for their best work as they share the results of their research and teaching and learning initiatives.
So that we all can learn more about ARTI, I invited Enda Whyte, Secretary of ARTI and faculty member at DCU, to tell us about the organization and its programs. In closing, I thank Enda for his work in athletic training education and for representing ARTI in creating this new relationship, and I welcome each member of ARTI to JAT, the ATEJ, and the NATA.
Craig R. Denegar, PhD, PT, ATC, FNATA
Editor-in-Chief
It is a pleasure to contribute to this announcement and share the history of the ARTI. After the BSc degree program in athletic therapy and training was established at DCU in 2005, the faculty began the critical task of creating a professional body to represent graduates, promote and advance the profession nationally, and develop global links. A group of athletic therapists, athletic trainers, and faculty staff from the Institute of Technology, Carlow, and the School of Health and Human Performance at DCU met, resulting in the founding of ARTI.
From the outset, international best practice was adopted to facilitate the development of the profession nationally and internationally. Therefore, ARTI became the body to accredit degree programs, certify members, and represent those members. Although well established in North America, certification is not common for health care professional organizations in Ireland and Europe. However, with help from the Board of Certification, the first certification examination took place on July 4, 2009. We believe that this process has been instrumental in allowing Certified Athletic and Rehabilitation Therapists (ARTCs) to work with some of the top sporting teams in Ireland and attain recognition as service providers by the Irish Institute of Sport.
Currently, ARTI has accredited 2 domestic degree programs: The BSc (athletic therapy and training) at DCU and the BSc (sports rehabilitation and athletic therapy) at the Institute of Technology, Carlow (both of which have strong links with US athletic training programs). The educational content and professional scope of practice are very similar to those of a traditional athletic training degree, with some variations. For example, an ARTC is an autonomous health care professional to whom patients have direct access and is independently able to diagnose and make treatment decisions.
Despite being in its infancy, ARTI has benefited greatly from collaboration with international partners. A full member of the World Federation of Athletic Training and Therapy (WFATT), ARTI supports the development of the profession globally. Also, given the similarities between the Irish and North American educational standards and certification processes, ARTI has applied to the Board of Certification and the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association for mutual-recognition arrangements. Although these are still in the discussion phase, we are hopeful and confident that they will occur in the near future.
We in ARTI are excited about and grateful for our new relationship with JAT, ATEJ, and the NATA. We believe this will encourage members to keep up to date with developments in our common profession and the evidence base that underpins our practice. We will encourage our members to share their knowledge and research in this forum. We will have representatives at the upcoming NATA annual meetings in Las Vegas (2013) and Indianapolis (2014), and in the near future, we plan to submit a bid to host the WFATT Congress and return some of this hospitality.
For more information on ARTI, please visit http://www.arti.info.
Enda Whyte, MSc, ARTC, MISCP
Dublin City University, Ireland