By Laurel White
Almost half of high school athletes who are injured during in-season play are seen by an athletic trainer within 24 hours, according to a new study from UW–Madison researchers.
The study, published in the January issue of the Journal of Athletic Training, evaluated more than 17,000 cases of student athlete injury across 20 different sports in 40 states between 2010 and 2023. Results showed about 47% of high school athletes who sustained an acute injury during in-season play were evaluated by an athletic trainer the same day.
The study also found female athletes, on average, waited significantly longer for an athletic trainer evaluation than male athletes. Junior varsity and varsity athletes also waited longer than freshman athletes for care, and injuries sustained during games faced longer wait times than injuries sustained during practice.
Madison Renner, a doctoral student in the School of Education’s Department of Kinesiology, was the lead author of the article. Renner says the study is an important step toward better understanding the factors that influence how long student athletes may have to wait to be evaluated by an athletic trainer following an acute injury. She points out immediate evaluation is vitally important for athletes’ optimal recovery.
“Delays in receiving medical care can lead to worse long-term health outcomes, and understanding disparities in time to care is the first step in ensuring equitable access to medical care for all athletes,” Renner says. “Our results showed that athletic trainers are invaluable in secondary schools, offering immediate access to qualified health care for student athletes.”
According to the study, the most common injuries among high school athletes were concussions (17%), ankle sprain/strains (13%), and thigh/hip/groin sprain/strains (9%).
The study’s co-authors were David Bell, professor in the Department of Kinesiology and director of the Wisconsin Injury in Sport Laboratory, kinesiology doctoral students Emily Srygler and Stephanie Adler, and kinesiology master’s program graduate Jennifer Chambers.
The study was recently highlighted in a Jan. 31 media event on athletic trainer access and availability hosted by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA). Renner and Bell participated in the event, which included an interdisciplinary panel discussion.
A.J. Duffy, III, president of NATA, said the event aimed to “share important perspectives from athletic trainers and others who work directly with young athletes.”
A recording of the hour-long panel discussion is available here.
The full study, “Factors That Impact Time to Athletic Trainer Evaluation Following Acute Injury Among Secondary School Athletes: A Report From the Athletic Training Practice-Based Research Network,” is available here.