Disparities in Sports Medicine Health Care Access in Illinois High Schools: Access to Team Physicians, Athletic Trainers, and Automated External Defibrillators

Abstract

Abstract High school athletes have higher rates of injuries and sudden death than their college counterparts. Medical care for these athletes should include access to team physicians, athletic trainers, and automated external defibrillators. Disparities in medical care access provided by high schools for their athletes may be due to school characteristics or socioeconomic or racial factors. This study investigated relationships between these factors and access to team physicians, athletic trainers, and automated external defibrillators. Medical care access is negatively related to the percentage of low-income students and positively related to the number of sports offered. Relationships between race and access to a team physician became nonsignificant when the percentage of low-income students was considered. Physicians who treat high school athletes should consider the medical care access provided by their schools when they educate these patients about preventing and treating sports injuries.