A Descriptive Analysis of Patient Outcomes and Experiences at a Student-Run Athletic Training Clinic

Abstract

Context The prevalence of student-run clinics is rising due to educational benefits and the ability to provide cost-effective care to underserved patients. Current literature on the effect of athletic training student-run clinics on patient outcomes and experiences is limited. Objective To explore patient-reported outcomes (PROs), patient experiences, and patient demographics in an athletic training student-run clinic. Design Mixed-methods study: cross-sectional survey with retrospective analysis of deidentified patient outcomes from November 2017–October 2021. Setting Athletic training student-run clinic. Patients or Other Participants A total of 388 patients from the university (ie, students and staff) and local community with a variety of musculoskeletal injuries. Main Outcome Measure(s) Participants completed a packet to provide their responses to demographic items and PRO scales: Disablement in the Physically Active Scale Short Form-8, Numeric Pain Rating Scale, Patient-Specific Functional Scale, and Global Rating of Change Scale at 3 time points. They also completed an electronic patient experience survey after their final visit to the student-run clinic. Results Most participants reported clinically significant improvements across all PRO scales: an average improvement of 39.1% in pain, 39.3% in function, and 43.1% in quality of life in <11 days, on average. Furthermore, they described a high level of satisfaction with care and a globally positive experience at the student-run clinic. Conclusions Patients experienced clinically significant improvements in pain, function, disablement, and quality of life when receiving care from athletic training students at a student-run clinic. In addition, they indicated a high level of satisfaction with the care provided and a positive overall experience with an athletic training student-run clinic.