College Marching Band Artists' Access to and Satisfaction with Healthcare Providers.

Objective: Approximately 27,000 college marching band (MB) artists in the United States could benefit from access to healthcare services and patient-centered care (PCC). The purpose of this study was to explore healthcare providers (HCPs) who MB artists have access to and the artists' perceptions of PCC.

Methods: We used a cross-sectional, web-based survey to explore which providers MB artists had access to. In total, 751 MB artists (age 20±8 yrs) completed the survey. Respondents who reported no access or were unsure were prompted to complete an open-ended response describing what they would do if an injury or illness occurred. Participants who had access to an athletic trainer (AT) completed the Global Perceptions of Athletic Trainer Patient-Centered Care Tool (GPATPCC; a=0.90; 15 items [1 reverse-scored]; 4-point Likert scale [1=strongly disagree, 4=strongly agree, 0=unsure]; score=average). Participants with access to other HCPs completed the Consultation and Relational Empathy tool (CARE; a=0.97; 10 items; 5-point Likert scale [1=poor, 5=excellent]; score=sum). Scores for the tools were standardized (z-score), and a Mann-Whitney U test determined PCC differences between those with access to ATs and those with access to other HCPs.

Results: Overall, 42.5% of MB artists had access to a HCP. The MB artists with access to ATs expressed satisfaction (mean 3.05±0.67) on the GPATPCC tool. Participants who completed the CARE tool expressed they were satisfied (mean 39.59±8.78). However, 57.5% of MB artists reported having no access or being unsure, who commonly relied upon communicated with MB leadership (33.8%) when injured. No significant differences were identified between ATs and other HCP ratings of PCC (U=4615, z=-0.36 p=0.719).

Conclusion: Over half of MB artists reported a lack of access or a lack of familiarity with what HCPs are available. Those with access to HCPs were satisfied with the care they received. Continued efforts should be focused on improving MB artists' access to HCPs.