Lacrosse players understand that having a unified and collaborative team is one of the keys to on-field success, and four medical professionals recently explained how that same team approach can be a strong asset in off-field healthcare for athletes.
“By working together, we can improve patient outcomes,” said Nina Walker, a certified athletics trainer and one of four panelists who explained the benefits of collaborative care of athletes as part of the 2021 USA Lacrosse Sports Medicine Symposium, presented by MedStar Health.
The goal of an interdisciplinary care model, which brings together people with different professional backgrounds, is to enhance the efficiency of the care provided to a patient.
“The idea is that people are coming together to solve problems and provide services,” said Dr. Kari Kindschi, a primary sports medicine physician. “The goal is to provide seamless delivery of services and optimize the quality of care.”
The panelists noted that as with any team, there are barriers that must be overcome. These can include a lack of resources, a lack of clarity in purpose, and poor communication. Nevertheless, effective collaboration can greatly benefit a patient by minimizing unnecessary testing and duplication of services.
“When this works, it really works well,” Kindschi said.
The panel, which also included Mary Ellen Kelly, a sports nutritionist, and Dr. Jeni Shannon, a certified mental performance consultant, used three specific sports medicine examples to help illustrate the collaborative process.
They examined concussions, relative energy deficiency/disordered eating, and long-term injury through four different perspectives: athletic training, mental health, nutrition, and medical care.
“We know that many times, injury or lost playing time can lead athletes to a sense of loss, whether it be a loss of opportunity or a loss of their athletic identity,” Shannon said. “It can be a vulnerable time as athletes struggle with mood or emotions. It’s important for the entire sports medicine team to be in tune to that so that the problems don’t become prolonged and begin to interfere with functioning.”
