Athletic trainers’ unique clinical and teamwork skills contribute on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic: A discussion paper

The Role of the Athletic Trainer in Providing Care to Transgender and Gender-Diverse Patients: Foundational Knowledge and Disparities-Part I

Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) patients experience discrimination, harassment, marginalization, and minority stress at greater rates than their cisgender counterparts, leading to numerous health and health care disparities that negatively affect well-being and access to quality health care.1 Despite being in an opportune position to improve health equity for TGD patients under their care, many athletic trainers (ATs) report having little to no formal education on TGD patient care, leading to a reduction in self-reported competence. As such, to fill this knowledge gap, the purposes of the first part of this 2-part narrative literature review are to (1) provide readers with foundational information and terminology, (2) explore relevant health and health care disparities, and (3) identify the role of the AT within an interprofessional care team treating TGD patients.

The perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on interprofessional education and collaborative practice: preliminary results from phase I of a global survey

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a sizable effect on interprofessional education and collaborative practice (IPECP) globally, yet much of the available literature on the topic remains anecdotal and locally bounded. This body of literature reflects celebratory and aspirational reports, with many case studies of successful response and perseverance under conditions of extreme pressure. There is, however, a more worrisome narrative emerging that pointed to differences in pandemic response with concerns raised about the sustainability of IPECP during and after the pandemic. The COVID-19 task force of InterprofessionalResearch.Global (IPRGlobal) set out to capture the successes and challenges of the interprofessional community over the pandemic through a longitudinal survey, with a view to inform global attempts at recovery and resilience. In this article, we report preliminary findings from Phase 1 of the survey. Phase 1 of the survey was sent to institutions/organizations in IPRGlobal (representing over 50 countries from Europe, North and South America, Australia, and Africa). The country-level response rate was over 50%. Key opportunities and challenges include the abrupt digitalization of collaborative learning and practice; de-prioritization of interprofessional education (IPE); and rise in interprofessional collaborative spirit. Implications for IPECP pedagogy, research, and policy post-pandemic are considered.

Collaborative Mental Health Care in Collegiate Athletics: Behavioral Health Providers' Perceived Role of the Athletic Trainer

CONTEXT

Developing effective interprofessional teams is vital to achieving quality care for those dealing with behavioral health concerns. Athletic trainers (ATs) play a vital role, as they are often the first health care providers to interact with student-athletes participating in intercollegiate athletics. However, research regarding how behavioral health providers view the AT's role on interprofessional behavioral health teams is limited.

OBJECTIVE

To explore behavioral health providers' perceived role of ATs in collaborative behavioral health care.

DESIGN

Qualitative study.

SETTING

Individual interviews.

PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS

Nine behavioral health care providers (women = 6, men = 3; age range = 30-59 years, years in clinical practice = 6-25) from National Collegiate Athletic Association Power 5 schools were interviewed.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Participants were contacted via publicly available information on their university websites. Participants engaged in individual, audio-only interviews using a commercially available teleconferencing platform. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and returned to participants for member checking. A phenomenological approach with inductive coding and multianalyst triangulation was performed to analyze the transcripts for common themes and subthemes.

RESULTS

CONCLUSIONS

Collaborative care models can enhance providers' abilities and maximize support of student-athlete wellness. In this study, we demonstrated that behavioral health providers working within a collaborative care model with ATs had overall positive experiences with such collaboration and that clear role delineation and responsibilities helped to foster high-quality patient care.

Athletic Trainers' Psychosocial Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Research Study

CONTEXT

Despite the many challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, athletic programs have sought ways to persevere and deliver sport programming. This process has strained the psychosocial health of all sport stakeholders but especially those entrusted with promoting the health of participants and enforcing safety protocols. Athletic trainers (ATs) have been a major influence in striving to achieve these goals by expanding their typical roles to lead in promoting the safe delivery of sport programs.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the psychosocial lived experiences of ATs as they practiced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN

Qualitative study.

SETTING

National Collegiate Athletic Association Divisions I, II, and III.

PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS

A total of 27 ATs practicing at the collegiate level (Divisions I, II, and III) who were actively involved in planning and implementing return-to-sport protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom. Inductive conventional content analysis identified emerging themes that characterized participants' narratives. Three members of the research team were involved in the analysis process and used field notes, continuous member checking, peer review, and multiple-researcher triangulation to establish data credibility and confirmability.

RESULTS

Three higher-order themes related to ATs' psychosocial lived experiences emerged: (1) internalized experience, (2) interpersonal interactions, and (3) AT identity. Several subthemes were also identified to further organize elements that characterized or differentiated participants' lived experiences.

CONCLUSIONS

Athletic trainers encountered significant challenges in maintaining their psychosocial health during the pandemic as they strived to assist others in this regard. Providing effective psychological and social support resources and strategies for ATs may not only allow them to better support themselves but may also enhance their ability to deliver professional services and promote psychosocial health among their athletes and other stakeholders in their respective sport systems in the future.

Job satisfaction in sport science and sports medicine, an international cross-sectional survey

Background/Aim

Job satisfaction (JS) and professional burnout among health professionals have been shown to affect several factors: healthcare quality, patient safety, patient satisfaction, turnover/reduction of work effort, healthcare costs and other personal consequences. In general, factors that impact JS for health professionals include professional autonomy, workplace conditions, rewards/recognition, compensation and work-life balance. However, less is known about JS of professions working in sport science and sports medicine (SSSM) especially from an international perspective. This paper addresses JS among SSSM professionals in an international context.

Methods

In a cross-sectional study design, the Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC) in SSSM survey, an online survey which included the Warr-Cook-Wall JS questionnaire for international respondents working in fields associated with SSSM, was distributed globally to persons working in SSSM. Data from 320 respondents with complete data sets from USA (n=83), Canada (n=179) and Europe (n=58) were collected.

Results

High values were detected in the overall JS of the total sample with some differences in variables relevant for JS internationally and a relationship between positive perceptions of IPC and overall JS. The most important determinant for overall JS in professionals working in SSSM is the opportunity to use abilities.

Conclusion

JS has an important influence on the work and services provided by SSSM professionals and experience with IPC can have a positive effect on JS which, in turn, can improve quality of life for clients, patients and professionals. Employers should regard most impactful determinants of overall JS when designing working conditions for their employees.

Lessons Learned and Potential Long-Term Effects on Athletic Trainers and Clinical Practice After a Global Pandemic

CONTEXT

Perceived stress and burnout are significant concerns among athletic trainers (ATs) due to growing professional demands. The global COVID-19 pandemic brought additional stressors, especially for health care providers, including the need to learn and integrate new skill sets in order to continue providing safe and effective patient care.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the influence of COVID-19 stressors on ATs engaged in patient care.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Internet survey.

PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS

A total of 429 ATs (age = 33 ± 9 years; experience = 11 ± 9 years; 74 men, 355 women) currently providing patient care.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

We recruited participants from social media sites to complete a questionnaire with the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSS MP), and qualitative questions related to the effects of COVID-19. We calculated correlations between CAS and MBI-HSS MP composite scores (emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment, and depersonalization) and used regression analysis to explore if CAS scores could be predicted by vaccination status (vaccinated or unvaccinated), sex, and MBI-HSS MP composite scores. We analyzed the qualitative data using a phenomenological, inductive approach with multianalyst triangulation and peer review as trustworthiness strategies.

RESULTS

Significant correlations existed between CAS and MBI-HSS MP composite scores (P < .001). Emotional exhaustion (P < .001) and depersonalization (P = .008) explained 28% of the variance in CAS scores (F2,405 = 81.29, P < .001). Three major areas of focus emerged: effects on wellness, emphasis on the value of athletic training, and the lessons learned and future innovation to inform potential long-term changes in the athletic training profession.

CONCLUSIONS

Key factors of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization during the pandemic may have exacerbated the potential for burnout among ATs. The pandemic affected ATs' wellness, changed perceptions of ATs, and altered operating procedures. Healthy coping strategies and organizational support are suggested for those who are struggling.