Profile of Sport and Exercise Physician Trainee's Clinical Practice Within Australasia in 2019: a Cross-sectional Study

Overview

Journal BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med

Specialty Orthopedics

Date 2024 Aug 2

PMID 39092237

Authors

Christopher Lim

Brett Vaughan

Kylie Fitzgerald

Jane Fitzpatrick

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Abstract:

Objective: To identify the patient population profile and the spectrum of training activities and influencing factors of Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physician (ACSEP) trainees.

Design: Retrospective cross-sectional design.

Setting: Training settings for ACSEP trainees.

Participants: Twenty ACSEP trainees undertaking full-time training in training period 2 of the 2019 training year (1 August 2019-31 January 2020). Exclusion criteria were trainees undertaking part time study and new fellows who completed their fellowship exams in 2019.

Independent Variables: Patient and practitioner demographics.

Method: Retrospective cross-sectional design.

Main Outcome Measurements: Patient data recorded in ACSEP trainees' logbook. Short questionnaire capturing pertinent trainee demographics.

Results: Most ACSEP trainee patients are adults aged 18-65 years of age (78.2%), presenting with knee (18.7%), ankle (17%) and spinal complaints (13.1%) in clinical practice or sporting team environments. Youths 10-17 make up 13.1% of presentations and older adults 66 years and older make up 8%. Only Australian trainees are engaging in additional training activities, such as surgical assisting outside of the clinic or sporting team environment.

Conclusion: Australasian Sport and Exercise Physician trainees appear to consult primarily musculoskeletal complaints, including providing broader care to paediatric and older populations, and work with sporting teams. There are differences between Australia and New Zealand trainee employment conditions, which appear to be affecting training experiences. These differences warrant consideration to ensure equitable training experiences and financial stability for trainees.

References

Freed G, Spike N, Magin P, Morgan S, Fitzgerald M, Brooks P . The paediatric clinical experiences of general practice registrars. Aust Fam Physician. 2012; 41(7):529-33. View

Siesmaa E, Clapperton A, Twomey D . Hospital-Treated Snow Sport Injury in Victoria, Australia: A Summary of 2003-2012. Wilderness Environ Med. 2018; 29(2):194-202. DOI: 10.1016/j.wem.2018.01.011. View

Tapley A, Davey A, Van Driel M, Holliday E, Morgan S, Mulquiney K . General practice training in regional and rural Australia: A cross-sectional analysis of the Registrar Clinical Encounters in Training study. Aust J Rural Health. 2020; 28(1):32-41. DOI: 10.1111/ajr.12591. View

Lystad R, Curtis K, Browne G, Mitchell R . Incidence, costs, and temporal trends of sports injury-related hospitalisations in Australian children over a 10-year period: A nationwide population-based cohort study. J Sci Med Sport. 2018; 22(2):175-180. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2018.07.010. View

Saw R, Finch C, Samra D, Baquie P, Cardoso T, Hope D . Injuries in Australian Rules Football: An Overview of Injury Rates, Patterns, and Mechanisms Across All Levels of Play. Sports Health. 2017; 10(3):208-216. PMC: 5958447. DOI: 10.1177/1941738117726070. View

Derman W, Schwellnus M, Hope F, Jordaan E, Padayachee T . Description and implementation of U-Turn Medical, a comprehensive lifestyle intervention programme for chronic disease in the sport and exercise medicine setting: pre-post observations in 210 consecutive patients. Br J Sports Med. 2014; 48(17):1316-21. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2014-093814. View

Finch C, Cassell E . The public health impact of injury during sport and active recreation. J Sci Med Sport. 2006; 9(6):490-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2006.03.002. View

Gamage P, Seker S, Orchard J, Humphries D, Fitzgerald K, Fitzpatrick J . Insights into the complexity of presentation and management of patients: the Sport and Exercise Physician's perspective. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2021; 7(4):e001228. PMC: 8628332. DOI: 10.1136/bmjsem-2021-001228. View

Whitehouse T, Orr R, Fitzgerald E, Harries S, McLellan C . The Epidemiology of Injuries in Australian Professional Rugby Union 2014 Super Rugby Competition. Orthop J Sports Med. 2016; 4(3):2325967116634075. PMC: 4811007. DOI: 10.1177/2325967116634075. View

10.

Matheson G, Klugl M, Dvorak J, Engebretsen L, Meeuwisse W, Schwellnus M . Responsibility of sport and exercise medicine in preventing and managing chronic disease: applying our knowledge and skill is overdue. Br J Sports Med. 2011; 45(16):1272-82. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2011-090328. View

11.

Grindel S . Sports medicine training in the United States. Br J Sports Med. 2000; 34(6):410-2. PMC: 1724265. DOI: 10.1136/bjsm.34.6.410. View

12.

Papalia R, Tecame A, Torre G, Narbona P, Maffulli N, Denaro V . Rugby and Shoulder Trauma: A Systematic Review. Transl Med UniSa. 2015; 12:5-13. PMC: 4592038. View

13.

Orchard J, Walden M, Hagglund M, Orchard J, Chivers I, Seward H . Comparison of injury incidences between football teams playing in different climatic regions. Open Access J Sports Med. 2014; 4:251-60. PMC: 3862696. DOI: 10.2147/OAJSM.S52417. View

14.

McMahon S, Gamage P, Fortington L . Sports related heat injury in Victoria, Australia: An analysis of 11 years of hospital admission and emergency department data. J Sci Med Sport. 2020; 24(3):224-228. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2020.08.011. View

15.

Lambers K, Ootes D, Ring D . Incidence of patients with lower extremity injuries presenting to US emergency departments by anatomic region, disease category, and age. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2011; 470(1):284-90. PMC: 3237997. DOI: 10.1007/s11999-011-1982-z. View

16.

Franettovich Smith M, Mendis M, Parker A, Grantham B, Stewart S, Hides J . Injury surveillance of an Australian community netball club. Phys Ther Sport. 2020; 44:41-46. DOI: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2020.04.004. View

17.

Cunningham C, Quan H, Hemmelgarn B, Noseworthy T, Beck C, Dixon E . Exploring physician specialist response rates to web-based surveys. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2015; 15:32. PMC: 4404667. DOI: 10.1186/s12874-015-0016-z. View

18.

Fernando D, Berecki-Gisolf J, Finch C . Sports injuries in Victoria, 2012-13 to 2014-15: evidence from emergency department records. Med J Aust. 2018; 208(6):255-260. DOI: 10.5694/mja17.00872. View