Perceived Management of Acute Sports Injuries and Medical Conditions by Athletic Trainers and Physical Therapists.
Alan Wallace, Matthew S Briggs, James Onate and 2 others
PMID 34909260WHAT IT FOUND
Athletic trainers reported feeling more prepared than physical therapists to manage acute sports injuries, but both groups made errors on case scenarios.
Feeling prepared did not predict choosing the right action. PTs interested in sideline coverage should seek specific emergency training rather than relying on general confidence.
Key findings
01Athletic trainers reported significantly higher perceived preparedness for all 16 acute conditions compared to physical therapists, who felt prepared for only five.
02Perceived preparedness showed poor or no correlation with actually choosing the appropriate action in case scenarios, meaning confidence did not predict competence.
03Only 6.9% of surveyed physical therapists provided sports event coverage, compared to 86% of athletic trainers, highlighting a gap in sideline medical presence.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The sample was limited to licensed providers in Ohio, so findings may not apply to other states or countries. Case scenarios used four fixed options, which does not reflect the complexity of real-life decision-making where other actions may be available. The study relied on self-reported preparedness, which may not accurately reflect actual clinical skill. Only 6.9% of physical therapists surveyed provided event coverage, potentially limiting the generalizability of PT findings to those who actually work sidelines. The subgroup of specialty-certified sports physical therapists was small (5.4%), making comparisons with that group underpowered.
Declared interests
One author declared payments from his employer; another declared payments from his employer and Allied Health Education LLC, plus grants from NIH and PT associations for unrelated projects. One author declared board membership and stock ownership with Human Elements.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the higher 'appropriate' response rate among physical therapists as evidence they are better prepared for sideline care. Athletic trainers reported significantly higher confidence across all conditions, and both groups made errors on critical cases like concussions and dislocations. The lack of correlation between confidence and accuracy means neither group should rely on self-assessment to judge readiness for acute sports management.