A DESCRIPTIVE SURVEY OF MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS AT SELECTED SPORTS MEDICINE CENTERS IN THE UNITED-STATES

No uniform guidelines for operations or accreditation standards for sp orts medicine centers were available and, at the time of this study, l ittle information on the management and operations of sports medicine centers was available in the literature. The purpose of the study was to determine the management structure and function of selected sports medicine centers in the United States. Questionnaires were mailed to 2 00 randomly selected centers throughout the United States from a direc tory of sports medicine centers published in Physician and Sportsmedic ine (1992) to gather descriptive information on eight areas, including 1) general background, 2) staffing, 3) services, facilities, and equi pment, 4) billing, collections, and revenue, 5) clientele, caseloads, and referrals, 6) ownership and financing, 7) school and club outreach contracts, and 8) marketing strategies and future trends. A total of 71 surveys (35.5%) were returned in the allotted time frame. Data were analysed using ranges, means, medians, modes, and percentages. Result s yielded several conclusions about sports medicine centers. Nearly al l (93%) of the centers employed physical therapists; physical therapis ts were clinical directors at 70.2% of centers; orthopaedists were mos t often medical directors; rehabilitation was the most frequently offe red service (93%); physical therapy produced the highest revenue; spor ts injuries accounted for a mean 34.5% of patients, who were mostly re creational or high school athletes between 13-60 years of age; primary shareholders were most often physical therapists or physicians; most were involved in outreach services for schools; marketing strategies p rimarily involved communication with referral sources; and managed car e was identified most frequently as a trend affecting the future of sp orts medicine centers. Findings identified common aspects of sports me dicine centers and may assist in establishing guidelines for operation s or accreditation of sports medicine centers.