Team Physicians in College Athletics

Mark E. Steiner, MD, D. Bradford Quigley, ATC, Frank Wang, MD, Christopher R. Balint, DO, and Arthur L. Boland, Jr, MD

The American Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 33, No. 10 (October 2005) p.1545-1551.

Summary if Article:

The article was an institutional needs assessment to determine medical / physicians services needed at a large Division I Institituion.

Two Years were studeies.

39 Intercollegiate Teams

1461 Intercollegiate Athletes / Year

Sports: Field Hockey, Football, Golf (M&W), Cross Country (M&W), Sailing (M&W), Soccer (M&W), Volleyball (M&W), Water Polo (M&W), Basketball (M&W), Fencing (M&W), Hockey (M&W), Indoor Track (M&W), Skiing (M&W), Squash (M&W), Swimming (M&W), Wrestling, Baseball, Crew (M&W), Lacrosse (M&W), Softball, Tennis (M&W), Outdoor Tack (M&W)

Medical Clinics:

Orthopaedic Clinics = 4 / week

Internal Medicine = 2 / week

Note: Each clinic lasted 2 - 3 hours

Physician Supervision (Contest):

Sports Covered:  Football, Ice Hockey (M&W), Wrestling and Lacrosse (Men Only)

Coverage primarly by Orthopaedic physician

Physician Evaluations:

Total Evaluation / Year = 1332

Orthopaedic = 79%

General Medical = 21%

Evaluations for General Medical Diagnoses

InitialFollow-up

Upper Respiratory Infections43   11

Dermatological   26     6

Concussions      25    31

Cardiac / Hypertension   11      1

Pulmonary   10      2

Gastrointestinal 10      3

Allergies 9       2

Gynecologic 6       2

Eating Disorder   4       2

Emotional      3       1

Other     60    15

Total     204    73

General Stats:

Football = 2.64 Evaluations / Athlete

Women's Basketball = 2.23 Evaluations / Athlete

53% of Evaulations were Sep. - Nov.

42% of Athletes were Women

Women = 39 % of Musculoskeltal Evaluations

Women = 39% of General Medical Evaluations

Imaging:

Field House Radiographs = 287 / Year

0.19 Radiographs / Athlete

MRI = 93 / Year

Bone Scans = 25 / Year

Approximately 1 of 4 muscloskeletal injuries required a radiograph

Approximately 1 of 11 musculoskeletal injuires required a MRI

Nonsurgical Hospitalization Admissions and Emergency Department Visits:

Nonsurgical Hospital Admissions = 6

Concussion

Intravenous Antibiotic Medication

Hematoma

Dehydration

Cardiac Abnormality

Skull Fracture

Emergency Department Visits = 35

Lacerations

Concussions

Dental Trauma

Dehydration

IV Antibiortic Medication

Procedures and Operations:

Field House Procedures = 18

Suturing of Lacerations

Drainage of Infections

Closed Reduction of Dislocations

Operations = 22

ACL = 5

Other Knee = 5

Hand = 4

Shoulder = 3

Elbow = 1

Back = 1

Ankle / Foot = 2

Groin = 1

Not Counted / Considered:

Preparticipation Evaluations

Educational Sessions with Coaches, Athletic Trainers and Athletes on Injury Prevention and Nutrition

When comparing the general student body to athletes, musculoskeletal diagnoses accounted for 10% of the evaluations in the general student body vs. 79% in the athletic populaitons.

The Collegiate Sports Medicine Foundation greatly appreciates the efforts of the Harvard University medical staff for putting together a much needed and valuable resource and accounting of physician services in a large intercollegiate athletic department.

For more information or clarification on the study, please contact Brad Quigley at Harvard at bquigley@fcs.harvard.edu