A Qualitative Longitudinal Exploration of Interactions Between Female Athletes and Sport Medicine Staff During Injury Rehabilitation.

Context: Sport injury is a prevalent setback experienced by athletes, wherein they are required to spend time in rehabilitation and interact with sport medicine staff. Sport medicine staff are a frequent line of contact line of contact for athletes at this time and represent an important part of their support network. There is little exploration surrounding the interactions that female athletes have with sport medicine staff during injury rehabilitation and how these interactions may impact the rehabilitation process. The purpose of this research is to explore the experiences of injured female athletes and their interactions with sport medicine staff during injury rehabilitation.

Design: Qualitative study using semistructured qualitative interviews and audio diaries. Interpretive descriptive methodology.

Methods: A total of 11 injured female varsity athletes who had sustained a musculoskeletal injury within 2 to 4 weeks of being recruited participated. A total of 6 upper body injuries and 5 lower body injuries are represented. Athletes completed 2 semistructured interviews and weekly audio diary entries across 6 weeks. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results: Results demonstrated that female athletes felt supported by sport medicine staff when provided with clear information about rehabilitation, when they perceived sport medicine staff as competent, and when sport medicine staff made a personal connection. An overarching theme of mattering was identified as underpinning the athletes' experiences of feeling supported by sport medicine staff during rehabilitation.

Conclusions: When sport medicine staff made female athletes feel that they mattered, they were perceived as more supportive during rehabilitation. Sport medicine staff can help athletes to feel that they matter by engaging in supportive behaviors during the rehabilitation process.