ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: There has been little documentation of what constitutes the clinical work of intercollegiate team physicians. Team physicians could be recruited based on the needs of athletes. HYPOTHESIS: A multidisciplinary team of physicians is necessary to treat college athletes. Most physician evaluations are for musculoskeletal injuries treated nonoperatively. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. METHODS: For a 2-year period, a database was created that recorded information on team physician encounters with intercollegiate athletes at a major university. Data on imaging studies, hospitalizations, and surgeries were also recorded. The diagnoses for physician encounters with all undergraduates through the university's health service were also recorded. RESULTS: More initial athlete evaluations were for musculoskeletal diagnoses (73%) than for general medical diagnoses (27%) (P < .05). Four percent of musculoskeletal injuries required surgery. Most general medical evaluations were single visits for upper respiratory infections and dermatologic disorders, or multiple visits for concussions. Football accounted for 22% of all physician encounters, more than any other sport (P < .05). Per capita, men and women sought care at an equal rate. In contrast, 10% of physician encounters with the general pool of undergraduates were for musculoskeletal diagnoses. Student athletes did not require a greater number of physician encounters than did the general undergraduate pool of students on a per capita basis. CONCLUSION: Intercollegiate team physicians primarily treat musculoskeletal injuries that do not require surgery. General medical care is often single evaluations of common conditions and repeat evaluations for concussions.
