How Athletic Trainers Help Maximize Return on Investments

Athletic Trainers (ATs) are dynamic health care professionals who’s services include but are not limited to; injury prevention, intervention and rehabilitation, emergency care, examination and clinical diagnosis. It’s not hard to conceptualize the ways in which ATs help maximize return on investments (ROIs) and allow parents and schools save millions annually. Through streamlined injury documentation, ATs can effectively communicate with the athlete’s care circle and monitor athlete care progress, all resulting in enormous cost savings. With one third of high schools in the U.S. lacking access to ATs, it’s time to consider the clear value of a connect care community.

Explore the benefits of ATs below:

• Benefit to Parents: ATs rehabilitation services reduce athlete costly emergency room visits - In 2019, the average cost for an ER visit by an insured patient was $1,082.
• Benefit to Athletes and Coaches: ATs rehab services decrease an athlete’s time between injury and return to play - Sports injuries are one of the highest contributing risk factors that impact youth athlete mental health and ATs may help alleviate this emotional and financial impact.
• Benefit to Athletes and Parents: ATs reduce injury and shorten rehabilitation time for athletes, which results in less time away from school directly contributing to academic success. Additionally, parents are also affected by their child’s sports injuries. More than 30% of parents take time off work to support their child’s injuries.
• Benefits to All: ATs act as a partner to both the athlete, parents and coaches via thorough injury documentation - They use their expertise to address immediate needs and communicate information effectively to athlete’s care circle, thusly reducing potentially unnecessary ER and primary care visits. 

Both injury prevention and cost effectiveness should be included in conversations surrounding the benefits of Athletic Trainers. Click here to learn more about the role of Athletic Trainers.

References:

1. Athletic training. NATA. (2022, June 9). Retrieved January 30, 2023, from https://www.nata.org/about/athletic-training#:~:text=As%20a%20part%20of%20the,of%20injuries%20and%20medical%20conditions
2. Muscatell , A. (2019, March 5). The invaluable value of an athletic trainer. At Your Own Risk. Retrieved January 30, 2023, from https://www.atyourownrisk.org/articles/invaluable-value-athletic-trainer
3. Nottingham SL, Lam KC, Kasamatsu TM, Eppelheimer BL, Bacon CEW. Athletic Trainers' Reasons for and Mechanics of Documenting Patient Care: A Report From the Athletic Training Practice-Based Research Network. J Athl Train. 2017 Jul;52(7):656-666. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-52.3.14. Epub 2017 Jun 2. PMID: 28574751; PMCID: PMC5517121.