Descriptive survey of management and operations at selected sports medicine centers in the United States

This study was 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 sports medicine centers were available and little information on the management and operations of SMCs was available.;The purpose of the study was to determine the management structure and function of selected sports medicine centers (SMCs) in the United States. Questionnaires were mailed to 200 randomly selected centers throughout the United States from a Directory of Sports Medicine Centers published in Physician and Sportsmedicine (1992) to gather descriptive information on eight areas. These areas included: (a) general background; (b) staffing; (c) services, facilities, and equipment; (d) billing, collections, and revenue; (e) clientele, caseloads, and referrals; (f) ownership and financing; (g) school and club outreach contracts; and (h) marketing strategies and future trends. A total of 71 surveys (35.5%) were returned in the allotted time frame. The majority of respondents were physical therapists. Data were analyzed using ranges, means, medians, modes, and percentages. The results yielded several conclusions about sports medicine centers (SMCs), including the following: clinical directors were usually physical therapists (PTs); the majority were located in urban or suburban areas; the SMCS were in operation a mean of 9 years; almost all (93%) had full-time PTs employed; there were a variety of other staff and physicians employed at the centers; the most commonly offered service was injury rehabilitation; a wide variety of exercise equipment and facilities were available with a median of 12 exercise stations; slightly over one-quarter had a fitness center with the SMC; almost all billed insurances; almost three-quarters of the SMCs were involved in managed care contracts; PT services yielded the highest revenues at the SMCs; the age range of most clients was between 13 and 60 years of age; most patients were referred to physical therapy by a physician; the mean percent of sports injuries seen at each SMC was 34.5%; the largest categories of sports injury clients were either recreational or high school athletes; almost half the SMCs were financed by the owner-operators; most (69%) had a written business plan prior to start-up and the start-up was most often supervised by a PT; over three-quarters of the owners had two or less centers in one state; the largest number of SMCs were structured as for-profit corporations; primary shareholders were most often either physical therapists or medical doctors; the majority (66%) of the SMCs were involved in outreach contracts to schools and clubs; the most effective marketing strategies reported involved communication with referral sources; and the most frequently mentioned trends that would influence the SMC industry related to managed care. The data provided an overview of the management and operations at sports medicine centers in the United States that responded to the survey. The findings provided information which could have been useful to existing SMCs or may serve as a source of information for those planning to start sports medicine centers. The information may also serve to assist in establishment of guidelines for SMC operations.