Novel Mobile Device-Based Tool to Document Sideline Evaluation of Athletes

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Health Informatics
• Mobile Health Technology

Background:

• Effective documentation of athletic injuries is crucial for athlete care and research.
• Existing methods for sideline injury documentation can be time-consuming and inconsistent.
• Mobile technology offers potential for improved data collection in sports medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the implementation of the Athletic Injury Database (AID), a mobile tool for documenting sideline athletic encounters.
• To evaluate patterns of AID use, the nature of captured injuries, and provider satisfaction.
• To assess the feasibility and utility of a mobile database for sports injury management.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a mobile device-based Athletic Injury Database (AID).
• Data collection over a 2-year period, capturing sideline encounters by athletic trainers and physicians.
• Analysis of AID usage patterns, injury types, and provider satisfaction surveys.

Main Results:

• The AID captured 6,237 sideline encounters over 2 years.
• Football (51%), soccer (15%), and basketball (12%) were the most common sports.
• Knee and ankle injuries were the most frequently documented, and 77% of providers reported satisfaction with the AID.

Conclusions:

• The Athletic Injury Database (AID) is an effective mobile tool for documenting sideline athletic injuries.
• The AID facilitates comprehensive data collection on injury patterns and sports.
• Improved documentation through tools like the AID can enhance the quality of care provided to athletes.