Patient Throughput in a Sports Medicine Clinic With the Implementation of an Athletic Trainer: A Retrospective Analysis.

Background: Orthopaedic clinics have acquired a multitude of health professionals to improve clinic efficiency. More recently, athletic trainers (ATs) have been utilized to improve clinical efficiency and patient care because of their extensive background in musculoskeletal injuries and anatomy. Improved clinical efficiency allows for increased patient visits, potentially enhancing patient access and downstream revenue via relative value units (RVUs).

Patient Perceptions of Athletic Trainers and Orthopaedic Medical Residents as Primary Clinical Support Staff in Sports Medicine Practice: A Randomized, Double-Blinded Prospective Survey.

Background: Orthopaedic sports medicine practices utilize a variety of healthcare professionals to assist physicians in the clinic. The purpose of this study was to investigate patients' perception of orthopaedic knowledge and clinical care provided by orthopaedic medical residents and athletic trainers (ATs).

Hypothesis: ATs will be perceived similarly to orthopaedic medical residents in overall patient care and perceived education level.

The financial impact of an athletic trainer working as a physician extender in orthopedic practice.

The provision of care and business of musculoskeletal medicine have evolved signifncalty over the last two decades. It has become ever more important that those who are leading muskuloskeletal medicine practices evolve with the changing healthcare landscape and find new ways to provide higher quliaty and more cost-effetive care. To meet these new challenges, many orthopedic physicians are choosing to hire athletic trainers as a part of their office staff.

Comparison of the effect of medical assistants versus certified athletic trainers on patient volumes and revenue generation in a sports medicine practice.

Background: Research has shown increases in efficiency and productivity by using physician extenders (PEs) in medical practices. Certified athletic trainers (ATCs) that work as PEs in primary care sports medicine and orthopaedic practices improve clinic efficiency.

Hypothesis: When compared with a medical assistant (MA), the use of an ATC as a PE in a primary care sports medicine practice will result in an increase in patient volume, charges, and collections.

Effects of isoproterenol and cholera toxin on human limbal epithelial cell cultures.

Purpose: Cholera toxin and isoproterenol (β-adrenergic receptor agonist) are largely used to enhance cell proliferation. The aim of the study was to assess the effects of cholera toxin and isoproterenol on growth and differentiation of cells cultured from human superficial limbal explants.

Methods: Limbal epithelial cells were cultured from superficial limbal explantsin basal medium either supplemented with cholera toxin or isoproterenol for 3 weeks.

Human epithelial cell cultures from superficial limbal explants.

Purpose: To study the kinetics of growth and the phenotype of cells cultured from human limbal explants in a cholera toxin-free medium with no feeder cell layer.

Methods: Human organ-cultured corneas were used to prepare limbal explants (full-thickness and superficial limbal explants) and corneal stromal explants. Cell growth kinetics and phenotypes were assessed by cultivating explants in cholera toxin-free Green medium.

Imaging of macroaneurysms occurring during retinal vein occlusion and diabetic retinopathy by indocyanine green angiography and high resolution optical coherence tomography.

Background: Macular edema occurring after retinal vein occlusion (RVO) or diabetic retinopathy (DR) may be due to the development of capillary and/or venous macroaneurysms (MAs). Here, we investigated the respective contribution of fluorescein angiography (FA), of indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) and of high-resolution optical coherence tomography (HR-OCT) to their detection.

Methods: Review of the charts of six consecutive patients with MAs secondary to RVO (n = 4) or DR (n = 2).