Exam 2 Flashcards
What are the rules of operation for an Athletic Healthcare Program?
- Must develop policies and procedures – a manual used by everyone who is involved in
providing some form of health care (AT staff, Physicians, others) - Define scope of program
What is the point of a manual for an Athletic Healthcare Program?
To delineate a daily routine program that has policies and procedures.
What are policies?
– clear and accurate written statements that identify basic rules and principles used to control and expedite decision making (what & why)
What are procedures?
describe the process of how something is done (how)
How can AT’s keep the AT facilities kept clean?
Establish rules such as
* No equipment/cleats in athletic training room
* Shower prior to treatment
* No roughhousing or profanity
* No food or smokeless tobacco
What is the deal with emergency telephones?
- Accessibility to phones in all major areas of activity is a
must - Should be able to contact outside emergency help and
be able to call for additional athletic training assistance - Radios and cell phones provide a great deal of
flexibility
What are security concerns regarding an AT facility?
- security concerns
- fire safety
- Electrical equipment safety
- EAP
- Crisis management plan
What are some unthought of budget considerations an AT facility has?
- Telephone and postage expenses
- Contracts for outside services (ambulance service,
ancillary medical services, per diem AT’s) - Purchases relative to liability insurance and
professional development* - Clothing to be worn in the facility
Supplies v. Equipment
Supplies - Expendable items that cannot be reused- first aid and injury
prevention supplies
Equipment - *Items that can be used for a number of years
* Fixed (remain in the training room- ice machine, tables)
* Non-fixed (crutches, coolers, training kits)
YEARLY INVENTORY AND RECORDS MUST BE MAINTAINED
Why is managing budget and equipment/supplies is critically
important?
Inventory must be taken yearly to effectively keep track of:
* New equipment that is needed
* Equipment that needs to be replaced
* Equipment needing to be replenished
Size of AT Facility
Varies between settings
* Must take advantage and manage space effectively
* Interact with architect relative to needs of program and
athletes
Location of AT Facility
- Outside entrance (limits doors that must be accessed
when transporting injured athletes) - Double door entrances and ramps are ideal
- Proximity to locker rooms and toilet facilities
Distinct areas of AT facility
- Taping and bandaging
- Injury treatment with rehabilitation equipment and/or
therapeutic modalities - Wet area (whirlpools, refrigerator, ice machine)
- Physicians’ examination room
- Office space
Record Keeping
- Critical responsibility of healthcare program
- Necessary for accurate, timely assessment and evaluation of
practices - Documents all practices to assure that responsibilities and
expectations are being met.
What must occur for the release of medical records?
- The release of medical records cannot occur without written
consent - If the athlete wants records released to colleges/universities,
professional organizations, insurance companies or news media,
he/she and the parents/guardians must provide written consent - Waiver must specify information to be released
HIPPA Meaning
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
What are the HIPPA regulations?
- Regulates how any members of the sports medicine team
can share health information concerning an athlete - Provides athletes with access to their medical records and
control over how their health information is used and
disclosed - Athlete can provide blanket authorization for release of
specified medical information on a yearly basis
FERPA Meaning
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
- Protects privacy of student educational records
What are the FERPA regulations?
- Provides parents certain rights with respect to inspection of child’s educational records. Can request corrections if inaccurate or misleading
- Rights transfer to child
- Age 18 or upon entering school beyond high school
(become “eligible student”) - School must have written permission to release information
Injury Reports
- Injury reports serve as future reference
- Reports can shed light on events that may be hazy
following an incident - Necessary in case of litigation for up to three years
after the injury - All reports should be filed in the athletic health care
facility and in the athlete’s medical record
What is the SOAP Format
Subjective, objective, assessment, plan
Subjejctive
information that the patient / athlete tells the athletic trainer about the injury (what happened, what they
felt or heard)
Objective
information such as range of motion, strength levels, visually obvious information (deformity, color,
swelling
Assessment
the professional opinion of the athletic trainer based on the subjective and objective information
Plan
– the plan of treatment and how the injury will be managed with short- and long-term goals for care and
rehabilitation
Treatment Log
- Individual daily treatment logs should be maintained
- Daily treatments can be recorded
- Can be used as legal documentation in instances of
litigation - Subject to HIPAA and FERPA regulations
Good Samaritan Laws
Provide limited protection against legal liability to any person who voluntarily chooses to provide first aid.
- The person is trying to help.
- The rescuer’s actions are reasonable.
- The rescuer is not being paid to perform the medical service
Malpractice and Negligence
Negligence suits involving coaches, athletic trainers, school officials and
physicians have increased in frequency along with the total amount of the damages that are awarded
Anyone providing any level of health care to an injured athlete must know
their limitations
- Avoid overstepping boundaries
- Must be aware of practice acts of various healthcare groups
When an Athletic Trainer or member of the sports medicine team is,
accused of ________, the complaint is typically for a tort of ________.
malpractice, negligence
Tort
A legal wrong
Negligence
failure to provide a duty of care
Negligent torts
usually not deliberate actions, but often involve not providing a standard of care when there is a duty to act
Feasance
doing or preforming of an act, as of a condition or duty
Malfeasance
Performing an action that is not his/hers to legally perform, (i.e.
performing an advanced treatment leading to complications)
Misfeasance
Improperly performing something the person has a legal right to
do (doing it wrong)
Nonfeasance
Failure to perform legal duty,( i.e., fail to refer a serious injury to a hospital or physician for treatment or evaluation)
Sovereign Immunity
protects government agencies, subdivisions, and institutions from being liable for damages and criminal prosecution
How is negligence proved?
To successfully prove malpractice, the four elements of negligence must
be present:
- Duty
- Breach
- Causation
- Damages
Duty
A duty of care existed between the person injured and the person responsible for that injury
Breach
a violation of duty or responsibility / conduct of the defendant fell
short of that duty of care
Causation
a connection between the failure to use reasonable care /the defendant caused the injury to occur
Damages
resultant damages either personal, property or punitive
Contributory Negligence
There is fault on the part by the victim.
- This must be determined before any judgment of malpractice
Comparative negligence
assigns a proportion of the fault to both the provider and the victim/patient.
Statutes of Limitation
*Specific length of time an individual can sue for injury resulting from
negligence.
- Varies by state but generally ranges from one to three years
- Clock begins at the time the negligent act results in suit or from the time injury is discovered following negligent act
- Minors generally have an extension
Liability
Being legally responsible for the harm one causes another person
Must be certain you are aware of all rules and regulations relative to
healthcare in each state
Assumption of Risk / Hold Harmless Agreements
- Athlete / Client / Patient is made aware of inherent risks involved in sport and voluntarily decides to continue participating
- Expressed in written waiver or implied from conduct of athlete once participation begins
- Can be used as defense against an athlete’s negligence suit
Assumption of Risk Statement
Assumption of Risk waivers are a way
to ensure participants (or parents/guardians for participants under 18 years of age) are aware of the potential risk of participation, and freely choose to undertake the activity regardless of the hazards associated with it. All sporting activities and organizations should consider using waivers regarding the assumption of risk as part of their participation
Indemnification and Hold Harmless Statements
Help ensure participant are aware they are signing an Acknowledgment of Understanding statement or form may be warranted.
How to avoid litigation
- plan to avoid a crisis,
- have Emergency Action Plans, waivers, and documents that are
as comprehensive as possible, - make sure participants are aware of the risk of participation,
- follow regulations established by governing bodies,
- plan for managing medical situations based on training,
- know your job description and your responsibilities and duties,
- do not attempt to perform duties that are beyond your level of training
and expertise, - Do no HARM.
