Chapter 1 Injury Care and the AT Profession Flashcards
What is Sports Medicine?
A broad and complex branch of health care encompassing several disciplines.
Area of healthcare that applies medical and scientific knowledge to prevent, recognize, assess, manage and rehabilitate injuries/illnesses related to sport, exercise or recreational activity and in doing so enhances health, fitness and performance of the participants
What are Athletic Therapists?
Medical experts in prevention, assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries resulting from physical activity.
Qualified to provide health services for athletes and physically active individuals
What is CATA?
Canadian Athletic Therapist Association
CATA is the certifying and governing body for certified ATs practicing in Canada
Established in 1965
What is CATA dedicated to?
To the advancement and growth of the AT profession through advocacy, education and research
What is the CATA definition of AT?
Certified Athletic Therapists are best known for their quick-thinking on-field emergency care of professional and elite athletes. The first to respond when someone gets hurt, they are experts at injury assessment and rehabilitation. It’s that same mix of on-site care and active rehabilitation skills that makes Athletic Therapists so effective in treating the musculoskeletal (muscles, bones, and joints) injuries of all Canadians, whether on the field or in the clinic.
Athletic therapists adhere to the Sports Medicine Model of care. They treat a wide range of patients, from kids with concussions to seniors recovering from hip replacement surgery, using various manual therapies, modalities, exercise prescription and even bracing and taping. The treatment varies but the objective doesn’t: an Athletic Therapist’s goal is to help clients return to their usual activities, whether that means playing competitive sports or walking to the mailbox and back.
What does the athletic therapy scope of practice start with?
Starts with the in-depth knowledge, education and training in the areas of the human MSK, exercise physiology, biomechanics and basic emergency care
What are the 5 practice domains of AT?
Prevention
Assessment
Intervention
Practice Management
Professional Responsibility
What is the Prevention Scope of Practice?
Instruction to individuals on the use and application of commercially made or custom-made protective equipment to minimize the risk of injury, illness or health related conditions
Provide custom-made devices or properly apply commercially made products in order to provide prophylactic/protective measures to minimize the risk of injury, illness or health related conditions
Patient education on risks and corrective actions associated with participation in fitness and sport programs, workplace ergonomics and musculoskeletal injury prevention in both the active lifestyle and workplace settings
Facilitate physical conditioning by designing and implementing programs to reduce the risk of injury, illness or health-related conditions
What is the assessment scope of practice?
Formulate an Athletic Therapy diagnosis by interpreting the mechanism of injury; determining signs, symptoms and predisposing factors of an injury, illness or health related condition; performing specific physical, orthopedic or fitness testing in accordance with accepted procedures to assess an injury, illness and/or health related condition
Assess for/recognize the potential of a sport related traumatic brain injury/concussion
Assess the biomechanical impact of injury, illness or health-related condition to promote ergonomically correct function
Reassess the status of injuries, illnesses and/or health-related conditions using standard techniques and documentation to determine appropriate treatment, rehabilitation and/or fitness and reconditioning plans
What is the intervention scope of practice?
Employ life-saving techniques through the use of standard emergency procedures to reduce the incidence of morbidity and mortality
Prevent exacerbation of non-life-threatening conditions through the use of standard procedures to reduce morbidity
Engage in rehabilitative therapy (including electrical, thermal and mechanical modalities) using standard techniques and procedures to facilitate recovery, function and/or performance
Administer therapeutic and conditioning exercise(s) using both standard and advanced techniques and procedures to facilitate recovery, function and/or performance either pre- or post-injury or surgical intervention, as well as for general illnesses or conditions related to the musculoskeletal system
Educate and provide guidance and/or counseling to patients and individuals in the treatment, rehabilitation and reconditioning of injuries, illnesses and/or health-related conditions to facilitate recovery, function and/or performance
Educate, provide guidance and/or counseling for, and administer appropriate return protocols for patients returning from sport related traumatic brain injuries
What is the practice management scope of practice?
Use an information management system to maintain appropriate medical records/documentation to comply with accepted best practice guidelines
What is the professional responsibility scope of practice?
Adhere to policies and procedures for the delivery of healthcare services following accepted guidelines to promote safe participation, timely care and legal compliance
Maintain records using a system to document professional services rendered to provide quality healthcare services
Adhere to statutory and regulatory provisions for the practice of Athletic Therapy by maintaining an understanding of these provisions and responsibilities to contribute to the safety and welfare of the public
What is the Team Physician and what are they responsible for?
Supervises various aspects of health care and is the final authority to determine the mental and physical fitness of athletes in organized programs
Must have an unrestricted medical license, be an MD or DO
Fundamental knowledge of on-field e-care
Concussion, cardiac emergencies, spinal injuries, heat-related illness
Trained in basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillator use
Have working knowledge of MSK injuries, medical conditions and psychological issues affecting athletes
Present at competitions, especially high-risk sports
What are the tasks required from the team physician?
Administer/review preseason physical examinations
Review preseason conditioning programs
Assess quality/effectiveness/maintenance of protective equipment
Diagnose injuries
Dispense medications
Direct rehabilitation programs
Educate staff on emergency policies, procedures, health care insurance coverage, legal liabilities
Review all medical forms, policies, procedures
Resource on current therapeutic techniques, provide trainings
Referrals to other HCP
What is the Primary Care Physician responsible for?
Key role in providing medical care to athletes and physically active individuals outside of the traditional athletic setting
Services vary depending on the background and expertise of the individual
Range from: PPE for a young athlete to counselling a middle-aged patient with multiple risk factors for CAD regarding parameters for safely beginning an exercise program
Responsible for clearing an individual to participate in activity
What is the coach responsible for?
For teaching the skills/strategies of the sport
What is the sport supervisor responsible for?
for administering and supervising recreational sport activities or activity areas within health club facilities
What are the responsibilities of the Sport/Physical activity Participant?
Responsible for adhering to prescribed guidelines for the activity:
- Maintain appropriate level of fitness
- Performing within the rules/guidelines of activity
- Maintaining/ wearing safety equipment
Injury ==> seek immediate health care and follow medical advice from the physician or AT
What does the Physical Therapist do?
Supervise rehab of injured participants in a hospital setting, industrial clinic or sport medicine clinic
What does the strength and Conditioning Specialist do?
Use of proper strength and conditioning to improve physical skills, athletic performance and fitness
Work with AT to benefit injured and healthy individuals
What does the Exercise Physiologist do?
Provide information pertaining to the physiological mechanisms underlying physical activity
Provide theoretical and practical suggestions regarding the analysis improvement and maintenance of health and fitness as well as rehab of heart disease and other chronic disease
What does the nutritionist do?
Proper dietary care in the prevention and treatment of illnesses
Provide valuable input regarding specialized needs of athletes and physically active individuals
Diets for: enhancing performance, preventing injury, weight management, PA and diabetes, Counseling for disordered eating and supplementation
What does the biomechanist do?
Applying basic laws of physics in performing mechanical analyses of human movement
Improving human performance and preventing injuries related to sport and PA
Kinematic info: injury prevention
Kinematic info: injury mechanism
What do EMTs and Paramedics do?
Out of hospital care in medical emergencies and may be first to arrive on the scene
Least amount of comprehensive education, clinical experience/skills
EMT-Basic: entry-level EMS, non-invasive and focus on control of bleeding, airway/ventilators, supplemental oxygen administration, splinting
Advanced EMT: more invasive procedures such as IV therapy and multilumen airway devices
