Athletic Trainers' Perceptions of Accessibility to Necessary Resources for Those Working Per Diem Services

• Published in: Journal of athletic training 2021-01, Vol.56 (1), p.112-122
• Main Authors: Armstrong, Tara A, Neil, Elizabeth R, Pennington, Alisha M, Mair, K Ellis F, Eberman, Lindsey E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Athletic Coaches; Best Practices; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data Collection; Emergency medical care; Employment; Guidelines; Health care delivery; Health Services Accessibility; Hiring; Humans; Likert scale; Likert Scales; Medical Services; Methods Research; Middle Aged; National Standards; Online Surveys; Opportunities; Outcome Measures; Personnel Selection; Professional Concerns; Professional practice; Research Design; Secondary schools; Sports; Sports Medicine; Sports training; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 1062-6050; 1938-162X
• DOI: 10.4085/1062-6050-0095.20

As the demand for athletic training services has grown, the per diem athletic training setting has expanded to fulfill this need. Per diem services are provided by athletic trainers (ATs) who are hired as independent contractors for short time periods. These service opportunities help to increase access to care for medically underserved populations; however, due to the transient nature of the work, the quality of care may be compromised. To examine current practices in per diem services and evaluate ATs' accessibility to resources. Cross-sectional study. Online survey. A total of 448 participants responded (access rate = 9.57%), of whom 210 were ineligible (46.9%). Of those who were eligible, 192 participants completed the entire tool (completion rate = 80.7%, age = 38 ± 12 years, years certified = 14 ± 11, years providing per diem services = 8 ± 8). The survey comprised 3 sections: (1) demographics, (2) accessibility to resources and influence on patient care, and (3) domains of athletic training while providing per diem services. Resources assessed included those that are relevant to ATs practicing in accordance with the Board of Certification "Standards of Professional Practice." The final instrument included approximately 30 questions (depending on display logic) and took an average of 12 minutes to complete. Of the 11 primary resources assessed, participants had limited accessibility to 6. Critical resources related to informatics, legalities, and health care delivery were often not available, were seen as unimportant to providing medical services, or both. Participants indicated varied perceptions about the need for and access to these resources. Yet such resources contribute to the creation of a safe infrastructure for providing medical services and should be part of the routine dialogue regarding independent contracting.