Why athletic trainers?
Physicians and athletic trainers working together is a “natural fit,” says Marjorie J. Albohm, MS, ATC (Athletic Trainer, Certified)—president of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA). Historically, the relationship between the orthopaedic surgeon and athletic trainer has been on the athletic sidelines, where they’ve partnered in the health care of athletes for decades. Now, that relationship is moving into the physician clinical setting as well. “After years of working side by side on the athletic fields, orthopaedic surgeons are integrating us into their everyday practices so that all of their patients—not just athletes— can benefit from this unique team approach to health care,” Ms. Albohm says. Although some orthopaedists have been using ATs as physician extenders for 25 years, the concept really began to grow about 10 years ago. “In the last decade, physicians began to see the benefits of this model from the standpoint of efficiency, knowledge and experience, and patie
