scholarly journals The Globalization of Athletic Training and Athletic Therapy Education: Editor-in-Chief Welcome

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 236-239
Author(s):  
David C. Berry
Keyword(s):  
Athletic Training ◽  
Athletic Therapy ◽  
Therapy Education

Canadian Athletic Therapists' Association Education Task Force Consensus Statements

10.4085/11015 ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark R. Lafave ◽  
Glen Bergeron ◽  
Connie Klassen ◽  
Kelly Parr ◽  
Dennis Valdez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Task Force ◽  
Final Report ◽  
Task Force Report ◽  
Entry Level ◽  
Program Accreditation ◽  
Adoption And Implementation ◽  
Consensus Statements ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Athletic Therapy ◽  
Therapy Education

Context: A published commentary from 2 of the current authors acted as a catalyst for raising some key issues that have arisen in athletic therapy education in Canada over the years. Objective: The purpose of this article is to report on the process followed to establish a number of consensus statements related to postsecondary athletic therapy education in Canada. The consensus statements should act as a future plan for entry-level athletic therapy education. Design: Content validation for consensus statements. Setting: Video-conference meetings at 7 Canadian postsecondary colleges/universities. Patients or Other Participants: Canadian Athletic Therapists' Association (CATA) program directors and CATA leaders from education, certification, and program accreditation committees. Main Outcome Measure(s): A Delphi method and modified Ebel procedure were used to gather opinions from participants about athletic therapy education. Results: We created 10 consensus statements, with a series of caveats that are presented in this article. All components received at least 80% consensus from the expert validation group. Conclusions: The final Education Task Force Report was created and content was validated by a group of experts in the topics associated with every consensus statement. The final report was presented to the CATA Board of Directors for adoption and implementation.

scholarly journals Signature Pedagogies in Athletic Therapy Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 293-304
Author(s):  
Colin D. King ◽  
Gregory MacKinnon
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Strategies ◽  
Pedagogical Knowledge ◽  
The Other ◽  
Pedagogical Strategies ◽  
Pedagogical Training ◽  
Initial Questionnaire ◽  
Athletic Therapy ◽  
Accredited Institutions ◽  
Therapy Education ◽  
Pedagogical Approaches

Context Developing an understanding of the signature pedagogies in athletic therapy education may help to promote greater pedagogical development opportunities and encourage meaningful reflection for educators. Objective To gain an understanding of the perceived level of pedagogical knowledge in Canadian athletic therapy educators and how they developed such knowledge. Design Sequential explanatory mixed-methods. Setting Seven undergraduate Canadian Athletic Therapists Association–accredited institutions Patients or Other Participants Twenty-one athletic therapy educators (16 women, 5 men) responded to the initial questionnaire; 15 athletic therapy educators (11 women, 4 men) participated in individual phone interviews. Main Outcome Measure(s) An initial questionnaire was designed to explore general pedagogical knowledge in athletic therapy educators and how familiar participants were with different teaching strategies. Emergent trends from these questionnaires were used to design a specific interview schedule. Phone interviews further explored the institutional, personal, student, and cultural factors that affected the selection of different pedagogical approaches. Findings from the questionnaires and interviews were combined to identify participants' pedagogical approaches to teaching in an athletic therapy setting. Results A pedagogical distinction was observed, dividing the sample into 2 groups. One group used a traditional, passive lecturing format, and the other, more innovative pedagogies. Educators who followed traditional teaching practices were less likely to know about different pedagogies or understand how these strategies could contribute to more effective instruction. The other group of educators appreciated the use of different pedagogies and explained how different teaching strategies could be incorporated to enhance learning in the athletic therapy curriculum. Conclusions On the basis of these findings, Canadian athletic therapy educators would benefit from more formalized pedagogical training and/or development. These formalized opportunities could familiarize educators with innovative pedagogical strategies while also preparing them with the necessary skills required to self-evaluate their own teaching approaches.

scholarly journals Play in Three Acts

2022 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 132-146
Author(s):  
Michelle Yeo ◽  
Mark Lafave
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Reflective Process ◽  
Therapy Program ◽  
Writing Students ◽  
Competency Based ◽  
Reflective Practitioners ◽  
Athletic Therapy ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
Therapy Education ◽  
Written Reflection

In some fields, written reflection is commonplace whereas in others it is uncommon. While athletic therapy education aims to produce reflective practitioners, written reflection is not a typical pedagogy employed. In 2014, the athletic therapy program at our institution began the implementation of a clinical presentation (CP) approach to facilitate competency-based curriculum requirements. This innovation to pedagogy required a reimagined approach to teaching, learning, and assessment. We describe one aspect of a larger SoTL study on this transformation, inquiring into the development of reflective practice through reflective writing. Students were asked to regularly reflect on their experiences in the clinic or field as part of their program. In this qualitative component of the study, we were able to gain insight into how students perceived the reflective process, how that evolved over their program, what were enablers and barriers to their reflection, and what was the role of feedback in their learning. The characteristics of student perceptions in each year, which followed a learning arc which we describe sequentially as “confused, conflicted, and convinced,” is explored, along with implications for pedagogy in assisting students to develope reflective professional practice.

scholarly journals International Athletic Training and Therapy: Comparing Partners in the Mutual Recognition Agreement

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 245-254
Author(s):  
Eva M. Frank ◽  
Siobhán O'Connor ◽  
Glen Bergeron ◽  
Greg Gardner
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Clinical Education ◽  
Mutual Recognition ◽  
The United States ◽  
Academic Education ◽  
Certification Exams ◽  
Mutual Recognition Agreement ◽  
Mutual Recognition Arrangement ◽  
Therapy Education

Context The globalization of athletic training and therapy is advancing and professionals have more opportunities to transition to international working environments. Objective To compare the American, Canadian, and Irish athletic training and therapy education, accreditation, and certification processes. Background The Mutual Recognition Arrangement recognized the equivalency of athletic training and therapy in the United States, Canada, and Ireland, and thereby provides an avenue for nationally credentialed professionals to obtain equivalent credentials in one of the aforementioned countries. Synthesis As a comparison, this article demonstrated that there was a commonality among countries, but also highlighted the unique jurisdictional differences that our members should be aware of should they want to transition to partner countries. Results We performed a comparative analysis of the education, accreditation, and certification processes among the United States, Canada, and Ireland. Specific differences were noted among supervision methods, clinical education methods, and certification exams. All of these are grounded in the Mutual Recognition Agreement. Recommendation(s) We recommend that the Mutual Recognition Agreement be held as a basis for future partnerships with other countries. Conclusion(s) This article provided an overview and highlighted the similarities among academic education, domains, and content areas covered under the Mutual Recognition Agreement among athletic training and therapy programs in the United States, Canada, and Ireland. The education programs, accreditation procedures, and certification systems, although differing in structure, were consistent in delivering content that aligns with the Mutual Recognition Agreement.

scholarly journals Exploring Technology Integration in Canadian Athletic Therapy Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin King ◽  
Gregory MacKinnon
Keyword(s):  
Technology Integration ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Educational Goals ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Athletic Therapy ◽  
Therapy Education

There are many potential educational goals for using digital technologies in health professional education programs. Previous studies have suggested that technology can be used in these settings to facilitate knowledge acquisition, improve clinical decision making, improve psychomotor skill coordination, and practice rare or critical scenarios. However, when using technology for educational purposes, many educators do not consider the resulting pedagogical implications of using these tools to teach course content. The purpose of this study was to explore this phenomenon in a sample of athletic therapy educators, by investigating their views and attitudes towards using digital technologies in athletic therapy specific courses. Researchers used a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach (via questionnaire and individual interviews) to explore this topic. It was found that the majority of athletic therapy educators in this sample (n = 21) did not in fact consider the pedagogical implications of technology integration and moreover used technology in rudimentary fashions (e.g., to deliver course content or to provide additional context to explain a topic). Conversely, those educators with higher levels of pedagogical and technological knowledge appeared to use technology in more constructive ways while considering the pedagogical impact of their technology integration decisions. Although this study focused on athletic therapy education, the findings are not unique to this discipline. Carefully designed, pedagogically-sound technologies have very specific and useful ways of empowering learning and have the potential to achieve many educational goals for any educator.

Building Professional Competence by Design or Just Marking Time: Suggestions for Educational Reform in Athletic Therapy Education in Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark R. Lafave ◽  
Glen Bergeron
Keyword(s):  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
Clinical Competence ◽  
Professional Competence ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Predetermined Level ◽  
Athletic Therapy ◽  
Eligibility Requirements ◽  
National Athletic Trainers Association ◽  
Therapy Education ◽  
Certification Requirements

Context and Background Athletic therapy postsecondary education and certification requirements in Canada have reached considerable milestones throughout their history. The most important of these accomplishments was administration of the first Canadian Athletic Therapists' Association (CATA) certification examination in 1975. At that time, there were three basic exam eligibility requirements: (1) core curricular courses; (2) 1800 practical hours; and (3) a valid first aid certificate. The only significant change to these certification requirements occurred in 1976, when the 1800-hour internship requirement was reduced to 1200 hours. However, a documented rationale for this change could not be determined. The noteworthy milestone occurred when the CATA approved a policy stating that, as of September 1999, all future athletic therapy candidates would have to be enrolled in a Canadian accredited program at a postsecondary institution. Although this policy significantly advanced the CATA's postsecondary academic/curricular requirements, the 1200-hour internship requirement has remained unchanged for almost four decades. Objective The purpose of this commentary is to stimulate discussion about the linkage between the practical-hour requirements and teaching, evaluating, and achieving clinical competence. Recommendations Recommendations for change are based on lessons learned by other organizations for medical educators and allied health care professions, such as the National Athletic Trainers' Association. One suggestion for change is to hold students accountable for achieving a predetermined level of clinical competence before they move through or graduate from a program. In order to accomplish this goal, students must be assessed with valid and reliable evaluation tools. Conclusion Therefore, it is important to establish a group of stakeholders who can identify issues and articulate a plan to guide the future of postsecondary athletic therapy education in Canada.

scholarly journals Patient Outcomes Significantly Improve When Receiving Treatment by Athletic Therapy Students

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
F Berger Lebel ◽  
R DeMont ◽  
L Eberman ◽  
GC Dover
Keyword(s):  
Lower Extremity ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Patient Reported Outcome Measures ◽  
Patient Reported Outcome ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Athletic Therapy ◽  
Extremity Injuries

Context: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) should be used in athletic training but are rarely incorporated in athletic training and athletic therapy internships. Student-run clinics are common in other health professions and provide effective treatment and a valuable learning environment.1–3 To our knowledge, no one has evaluated rehabilitation outcomes in patients treated by athletic training/athletic therapy students (ATSs). Objective: The purpose of our study was to measure the improvement in function in injured patients seeking treatment at an ATS-clinic. Design: Cohort study. Setting: ATS-clinic. Participants: Fifty-nine patients from the community with a variety of low back, lower extremity, and upper extremity injuries participated in this study. Interventions: ATSs were responsible for the injury assessment and rehabilitation program of their patients while being supervised by a certified AT. Main Outcome Measures: At baseline and at 6-week follow-up, all patients completed one of three scales depending on injury location to assess their injured level of function. Scales included the: Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) for low back injuries, Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) for lower extremity injuries and Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand (DASH) for upper extremity injuries. Results: On average, patients received 4.7±1.8 treatments across 48.8±16.1 days. Patients experienced a significant increase in function between assessment and follow-up (18.8%±20.3, p<0.001,d =1.06). Moreover, the amount of functional improvement was clinically significant, being greater than the minimal clinical difference for each scale. There was no significant difference in the efficacy of treatment regarding internship experience of ATSs. Conclusions: Patients improved their function significantly after treatment delivered by an ATS. Patient-reported outcome measures were useful for the students to monitor patient improvement however, more research is needed regarding effective treatment for chronic pain patients. Our results suggest that ATS-clinics provide effective treatments for patients, service to the community, and a learning opportunity for students.

The Influence of Chronic Pain and Catastrophizing on Patient Outcomes in an Athletic Therapy Setting

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Meaghan Hindle ◽  
Katherine Aldinger ◽  
Geoff Dover
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Acute Pain ◽  
Pain Catastrophizing ◽  
Neck Disability Index ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Rehabilitation Outcomes ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Athletic Therapy

Context: Chronic pain is a challenge for Athletic Trainers and Athletic Therapists working in a clinical or university setting. The fear avoidance model, including catastrophizing, is well established in other health professions but is not established in Athletic Training and Athletic Therapy and may affect rehabilitation outcomes. Objective: To measure the influence of catastrophizing on rehabilitation outcomes of patients being treated in an Athletic Therapy setting. Design: Prospective single group pre–post design. Setting: Student Athletic Therapy clinic. Patients: A total of 92 patients were evaluated at initial assessment, and 49 were evaluated at follow-up. Intervention: All participants completed self-reported function questionnaires to assess level of injury and then received individualized treatments for a variety of musculoskeletal injuries. All measures were completed at initial assessment and at follow-up approximately 6 weeks later. Main Outcome Measures: The authors measured function using a variety of patient self-reported functional questionnaires: the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand; Lower Extremity Functional Scale; the Neck Disability Index; and the Oswestry Disability Index depending on injury site. Catastrophizing was measured using the Pain Catastrophizing Scale. Results: Function significantly improved from the initial assessment to the follow-up (P > .001). Patients with acute pain experienced a significantly greater improvement in function between the initial assessment and follow-up compared with participants with chronic pain (P = .050). Those with high catastrophizing presented with lower levels of function at initial assessment (66.8%) and follow-up (72.1%) compared with those with low catastrophizing (80.8% and 87.0%, respectively). Conclusion: Similar to other studies in other professions, the function of patients with chronic pain does not improve as much compared with patients recovering from acute pain in an Athletic Therapy setting. It is important to measure patient-reported outcomes to evaluate patient rehabilitation progress. Rehabilitating patients with chronic pain is a challenge, and pain catastrophizing should be evaluated at the initial assessment since catastrophizing is associated with worse function.

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