@article{ref1,
title="Prevalence and characteristics of general and football-specific emergency medical service activations by high school and collegiate certified athletic trainers: a national study",
journal="Clinical journal of sport medicine",
year="2010",
author="Decoster, Laura C. and Swartz, Erik E. and Cappaert, Thomas A. and Hootman, Jennifer M.",
volume="20",
number="6",
pages="436-444",
abstract="OBJECTIVE:: To describe frequency and characteristics of emergency medical services (EMS) activations by certified athletic trainers (ATs) and effects of pre-season planning meetings on interactions between ATs and EMS both generally and specifically during football head/neck emergencies. DESIGN:: Retrospective cross-sectional survey. SETTING:: 2009 Web-based survey. PARTICIPANTS:: Athletic trainers (n = 1884; participation rate, 28%) in high school and collegiate settings. INDEPENDENT VARIABLES:: Athletic trainer work setting, AT demographics, history of pre-season planning meetings. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:: Proportions and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) estimated the prevalence of EMS activation, planning meetings, and characteristics of AT-EMS interactions (eg, episodes of AT-perceived inappropriate care and on-field disagreements). Chi square tests tested differences (P < 0.05) in proportions. Associations (odds ratio = OR and 95% CI) between work setting, demographics, preseason meetings and fall 2008 1) episodes of AT-perceived inappropriate care, and 2) on-field disagreements were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS:: High school ATs activated EMS more frequently than collegiate ATs (eg, fall 2008 EMS activation for football injury, 59.9% vs 27.5%; P < 0.01) and reported fewer pre-season planning meetings (eg, met with EMS to practice, 38.1% vs 55.8%; P < 0.01). During the Fall 2008 football season, high school ATs perceived more episodes of inappropriate care (10.4% vs 3.9%; P < 0.01) and on-field disagreements (5.4 vs 2.2%; P < 0.01) than collegiate ATs. High school work setting was independently associated with episodes of AT-perceived inappropriate care (adjusted OR = 2.76; 95% CI, 1.65-4.62) and on-field disagreements (adjusted OR = 2.33; 95% CI, 1.17-4.64). CONCLUSIONS:: Athletic trainer-EMS interactions are common and sometimes involve AT-perceived episodes of inappropriate care and on-field disagreements between emergency care providers.  Keywords: American football; <p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1050-642X",
doi="10.1097/JSM.0b013e3181fc0a54",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/JSM.0b013e3181fc0a54"
}