An Interview with Dr. Jeff Driban and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association 

Jeffrey Driban, PhD, ATC, CSCS, is NATA’s representative to the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance and serves on the Journal of Athletic Training’s Editorial Board and the NATA Research & Education Foundation’s Free Communications Subcommittee. He is the Vice-Chair of the OAAA’s Steering Commitee.

1. What is your organization’s interest in the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance?

The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) represents 45,000 members who place a strong emphasis on promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors with effective education and communication to enhance wellness and minimize the risk of injury and illness. Athletic trainers are health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to optimize activity and participation of patients and clients. Athletic training encompasses the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of emergency, acute and chronic medical conditions involving impairment, functional limitations and disabilities.

Often, athletic trainers work with patients with osteoarthritis who want to remain physically active. Additionally, they work with patients with a history of joint trauma and are at greater risk for osteoarthritis. NATA acknowledges that sports activity is a safe and fun way to participate in physical activity and strives to provide its members with resources to assist these patients in remaining active. Being a member organization of the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance provides NATA the opportunity to collaborate with other groups and professionals who are committed to osteoarthritis prevention. The Alliance provides an excellent opportunity for its member organizations to synergize efforts and create a broader platform to encourage osteoarthritis prevention among health care providers, community leaders and the public.

2. What do you think is the most important issue today related to osteoarthritis?

Prevention. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common causes of disability, and yet there are no interventions to slow, halt or reverse the progression of osteoarthritis. This is particularly troubling since patients with a history of injury are often diagnosed at a younger age than their peers. Some of these patients may live more than half their life with a chronic painful condition that will dramatically limit their function and reduce their quality of life. It is imperative that evidence-based primary and secondary prevention strategies continue to be developed, disseminated and implemented in communities throughout the United States.

3. How does your work connect to issues in osteoarthritis?

Athletic trainers are committed to injury and illness prevention and play a major role in the prevention and management of osteoarthritis. In June 2017, the Journal of Athletic Training published a special issue on osteoarthritis in sports medicine, which highlighted research of athletic trainers in the field and educated athletic trainers about their role in preventing and managing osteoarthritis. In January 2018, NATA released a position statement on prevention of anterior cruciate ligament injury. Two of the authors of this document serve on the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance’s Injury Prevention Task Force. NATA is also in the process of developing an osteoarthritis “health issue” page for its website, which will be a platform to share content from our work and the work from the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance. The NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo, held in late June each year, includes sessions related to osteoarthritis in sports medicine. This year, the NATA Professional Development Committee is coordinating with the Athletic Trainers’ Osteoarthritis Consortium to develop a district workshop series on osteoarthritis prevention (including injury prevention) that may be adopted by NATA’s 10 districts for their annual meetings during 2018 and 2019. We look forward to our continued collaboration with the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance and its member organizations to promote awareness about osteoarthritis prevention.

4. What is a headline you’d like to see about osteoarthritis in five years?

Youth Injuries Reach Historic Low as Communities Implement Injury Prevention Programs!

5. What is one interesting fact you’d like people to know about your organization?

The Safe Sports School Award, presented by NATA, champions safety and recognizes secondary schools that provide safe environments for student athletes. The award reinforces the importance of providing the best level of care, injury prevention and treatment. To date, more than 1,200 secondary schools have applied for and received the award. Has your local secondary school received the award?