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Team physicians in college athletics
Mark E Steiner1, D Bradford Quigley, Frank Wang
1Harvard University Athletic Department and Health Service, New England Baptist Hospital Sports Medicine Section, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA. mesteinermd@cs.com
The American Journal of Sports Medicine
|July 13, 2005
Summary
Intercollegiate team physicians mainly treat non-surgical musculoskeletal injuries in college athletes. General medical care addresses common issues and concussions, with athletes seeking care at rates similar to other students.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Epidemiology
- Athletic Healthcare
Background:
- Limited documentation exists on the clinical practice of intercollegiate team physicians.
- Understanding physician roles is crucial for athlete care and recruitment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the clinical work of team physicians for intercollegiate athletes.
- To compare healthcare utilization between student athletes and the general undergraduate population.
Main Methods:
- A 2-year descriptive epidemiological study was conducted at a major university.
- Data collected included team physician encounters, imaging, hospitalizations, surgeries, and general undergraduate diagnoses.
- Analysis focused on diagnosis types, sport-specific utilization, and per capita healthcare seeking rates.
Main Results:
- Musculoskeletal diagnoses (73%) were more common than general medical diagnoses (27%) in athletes.
- Only 4% of athletic musculoskeletal injuries required surgery.
- Football had the highest encounter rate (22%); athletes sought care at rates similar to the general student population.
Conclusions:
- Team physicians predominantly manage non-operative musculoskeletal conditions in college athletes.
- General medical care for athletes includes common illnesses and repeated concussion evaluations.
- Student athletes' healthcare needs are comparable to their non-athlete peers.