Exploring Perceived Barriers and Support When Responding to Social Determinants of Health in Concussion Management Among Athletic Trainers

Student Author Information

Empris T. Smith, University of LynchburgFollow
Patricia Kelshaw, University of New Hampshire - Main CampusFollow
Adrienne Fletcher, University of Lynchburg
Tamara Valovich McLeod, A.T. Still UniversityFollow
Tamerah Hunt, Georgia Southern UniversityFollow
Kelsey Picha, A.T. Still UniversityFollow
Tarkington Newman, University of KentuckyFollow
Curt Bay, A.T. Still UniversityFollow
Tom Bowman, bowman.t@lynchburg.edu

Location

Turner Gymnasium

Access Type

Campus Access Only

Start Date

4-17-2024 12:00 PM

End Date

4-17-2024 1:15 PM

College

College of Health Sciences

Department

Athletic Training

Keywords

athletic health care, health determinants

Abstract

• Social determinants of health (SDOH) include economic stability, educational access and quality, access to healthcare, the quality of healthcare services, the environmental characteristics of neighborhoods and built environments, and the broader social and community context. Research has demonstrated that athletes from underprivileged backgrounds and underrepresented groups have a lower likelihood of receiving timely and appropriate care for concussions. The lack of resources can impact an athlete’s ability to recover fully from a concussion and safely return to their sport. Athletic trainers are proficient in concussion education, evaluation, and management. Prior consensus guidelines have called for clinicians to incorporate domains of SDOH into concussion management. However, it remains unclear whether athletic trainers (ATs), who play a pivotal role in the management of patients with concussions, incorporate considerations of SDOH, and navigate perceived barriers to doing so into their clinical practice. Our study aimed to present findings regarding ATs’ perceived barriers to responding to SDOH in concussion care and strategies that would support ATs when caring for a patient with a concussion. In total, 325 athletic trainers (men: n=94, women: n=166, non-binary: n=4; age=38.02±11.39) completed the survey (81.2% completion rate). Participants worked in either rural (n=62), suburban (n=120), urban (n=53), or inner city (n=22) settings. By mean-ranks, the most endorsed barriers were insufficient workforce (3.81± 1.25) followed by lack of training (3.75± 1.18). By mean-ranks, the most endorsed support strategies were investing in the technological and human capacity to connect patients with community resources they need to be healthy (4.13± 0.92) followed by screening patients to identify social needs (4.05± 0.89). These findings emphasize the importance of access to ATs and AT staff to address SDOH needs in concussion care.

Faculty Mentor(s)

Dr. Trish Kelshaw Dr. Tamara Valovich McLeod Dr. Tamerah Hunt Dr. Kelsey Picha Dr. Tarkington Newman Dr. Curt Bay Dr. Tom Bowman

Comments

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-9DqSQfcUJJHipyVR0NdvVkHERP1zjzXL5p7FuVwSpQ/edit?usp=sharing

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