Athletic Training Department

Headquartered at ATSU in Mesa, Arizona, the Athletic Training Practice-Based Research Network (AT-PBRN) is an affiliate network of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the first and only practice-based research network in athletic training.

The mission of the AT-PBRN is to improve the quality of care and patient outcomes for individuals under the care of athletic trainers. The network includes athletic training researchers, a biostatistician, a post-doctoral research fellow, a research coordinator, and an external advisory board comprised of athletic trainers from across the country.

ATSU’s Concussion Program serves as a resource for sport-related concussion education, research, and service for young athletes, parents, coaches, and administrators.

Outreach services in Arizona include concussion education, baseline (pre-season) testing, and post-injury evaluations. The program also provides training and education for athletes, coaches, parents, athletic trainers, athletic training students, and other healthcare providers while conducting research focused on concussion awareness, assessment tools, and interventions that enhance recovery.

Students in ATSU’s athletic training programs utilize the industry-leading CORE-AT electronic medical record (EMR) system, a web-based injury surveillance and electronic medical record platform designed specifically for athletic trainers.

Developed by athletic trainers in partnership with ESSENTIALTALK, the CORE-AT EMR complies with HIPAA standards for data acquisition, storage, and transmission. Health information is securely transmitted in real time to redundant servers rather than stored locally on computers.

• NATA Position Statement: Management of Sport Concussion
• Clinical Decision Making in Athletic Training
• Questions in the Shoulder: Expert Sports Medicine Advice
• Concussion Reporting Among Secondary-School Athletes
• Perceived Strategies to Enhance Evidence-Based Practice
• The Effect of Kinesio Taping on Anterior Knee Pain
• Functional Movement Screen™ Differences in School Athletes
• AT Students’ Perceived Abilities to Implement Core Competencies
• Physicians’ Concussion Management and Referral Patterns for Adolescent Athletes
• PBRNs Part I: Laboratory Research Findings and Effective Patient Care
• PBRNs Part II: Athletic Training PBRN in the Secondary School Setting
• Evidence-Based Athletic Training Practice, Part I: Disablement Models
• Evidence-Based Athletic Training Practice, Part II: Clinical Outcomes Assessment
• Quality of Life in Adolescent Athletes vs. General, Healthy Adolescents
• Hip and Glenohumeral Rotational Range of Motion in Professional Baseball
• Injury History, Pain Rating, and Quality of Life in Female Softball Pitchers
• Upper Limb Neural Tension Testing: Part 1: Minimally Invasive Assessment in Cadavers
• Upper Limb Neural Tension Testing: Part 2: Role of Foraminal Ligaments

Doctor of Athletic Training students complete an Applied Research Project (ARP) that advances athletic training practice through applied research and analysis. Students investigate a clinical or workplace challenge, develop and implement a solution, and evaluate its impact. Each project culminates in a formal presentation and written paper demonstrating the full research and quality improvement process.