The Value of Athletic Trainers in Ambulatory Settings.

Athletic trainers (ATs) are increasingly used in ambulatory care settings. This study piloted a new survey instrument to assess the value that ATs add to these settings. The survey collected data on six domains: 1) general facility characteristics, 2) AT staffing characteristics, 3) other staffing characteristics, 4) patient characteristics, 5) billing practices, and 6) participation in innovations. A national sample of physician practices using ATs was recruited to participate in a web-based survey. The study found that ATs were among the most common clinical occupations in the practice. Practices were almost all "very satisfied" with the services provided by ATs with equal expectations to either maintain or increase the number of ATs. While most practices invested in training and continuing education units, the larger practices were more likely to do so. Practices were more likely to bill for AT services if ATs had a national provider identifier. The mean number of clinical visits, rate of billing, patient scheduling, wait times, and participation in innovations did not vary significantly by the number of ATs employed. Overall, the study found evidence that ambulatory care practices see value in hiring ATs.