Athletic Trainers' Perception on Treating and Managing Ankle Sprains
Abstract Context: Ankle sprains common occurrences in athletic and general populations. High volumes of ankle sprains elevate the clinical burden on Athletic Trainers (AT). While there is a position statement from the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) regarding the treatment and management of ankle sprains, there may be factors impacting an AT's ability to effectively implement the recommendations. Objective: To evaluate current understanding, perceptions and difficulties ATs have regarding the treatment, management, and long-term effects of ankle sprains. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Online survey instrument. Patients or Other Participants: Seven hundred and ninety-six ATs across all athletic training job settings (years certified=12.1±9.2 years). Interventions: None. Main Outcome Measures: Participants completed a thirty-eight-question survey that recorded demographics, perceptions and knowledge on epidemiology, treatment, and management of ankle sprains. The survey also documented participants' patient education practices, attitudes towards the NATA position statement regarding ankle sprains, along with challenges and pressures against implementation. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and analyses of variance were used to analyze the data and evaluate group differences and relationships. Results: Eighty-three percent of participants demonstrated a moderate understanding of fundamental ankle sprain epidemiology. Group differences were seen between education levels, years certified, and job setting regarding patient education. Overall, 38.1% of ATs were either unsure or unaware of the NATA position statement, but those aware of it expressed it to be a 3.89 on a scale to five, regarding usefulness; with one being “Not Useful at All”, three being “Neutral” and five “Very Useful”. On average, 1.9±0.88 challenges were documented to implementing effective treatment practices, and an average of 2.0±0.95 pressures reported to returning athletes to play following an ankle sprain. Conclusion: Nearly 40% of ATs were either unaware or unsure of current recommendations available to inform how ankle sprains are treated, which could impact how care is delivered.