Patient Outcomes After Treatment by Athletic Therapy Students.

Area of Science:

• Athletic Training
• Sports Medicine
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are crucial in athletic training and therapy but underutilized in student internships.
• Student-run clinics offer valuable learning experiences and effective patient treatment in allied health professions.
• No prior studies have evaluated rehabilitation outcomes for patients treated by athletic therapy students (ATSs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify functional improvements in patients receiving treatment at an athletic therapy student (ATS) clinic.
• To assess the utility of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in monitoring patient progress within an ATS setting.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study was conducted at an athletic therapy student (ATS) clinic.
• Fifty-nine community patients with low back, lower extremity, or upper extremity injuries participated.
• Functional status was assessed at baseline and 6 weeks using validated PROMs: Oswestry Disability Index, Lower Extremity Functional Scale, or Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand.

Main Results:

• Patients experienced a statistically significant and clinically meaningful increase in function of 18.8% ± 20.3% (P < .001, Cohen d = 1.06).
• Average treatment involved 4.7 ± 1.8 sessions over 48.8 ± 16.1 days.
• Treatment efficacy was not influenced by the athletic therapy students' internship experience levels.

Conclusions:

• Athletic therapy student (ATS) clinics effectively improve patient function.
• PROMs proved valuable for students in tracking patient recovery.
• ATS clinics provide essential community service, valuable student training, and effective patient care, though further research into chronic pain management is warranted.