Outcomes RFP

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Advancing Outcomes of Care in Athletic Training

The NATA Research and Education Foundation announces funding available to support research grant proposals designed to produce clinical outcomes research in athletic training.  In a collaborative effort, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the NATA Research and Education Foundation have dedicated funds for this initiative.  The direct costs over the study period must not exceed $250,000.  All proposals will be submitted to the NATA Research and Education Foundation. 

Background
Evidence-based medicine and practice have garnered considerable attention in the medical field in the last decade.  Evidence-based medicine is defined as “the integration of the best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values to make clinical decisions.” An important component of evidence-based medicine and practice is outcomes research, which seeks to understand the end results of particular health care practices and interventions.  For clinicians and patients, outcomes research provides evidence about benefits, risks, and results of preventative, diagnostic, and treatment interventions so they can make more informed decisions.  For health care managers and purchasers, outcomes research can identify potentially effective strategies they can implement to ameliorate the quality and value of practical strategies to improve care, thereby fostering faster recovery as well as reducing complications and health care costs.  Through assessing interventions with patient-oriented outcome measures, evidence-based outcomes research has become the key to developing better ways to monitor and improve the quality of patient care.

Presently there is a limited body of clinical outcomes, comparative effectiveness, and cost analysis research that has been conducted related to care provided by certified athletic trainers and athletic training-specific interventions.  There is currently an urgent need for athletic training clinical outcomes, comparative effectiveness, and cost analysis research conducted in a systematic and directed manner.  The lack of this type of research hampers efforts to establish the value of athletic training services for our patients and assist athletic trainers in providing the most effective evidence-based care.  In addition, future efforts for reimbursement for athletic training services may be difficult or impossible to achieve and the profession’s reputation as a leader in the health care field may be jeopardized without the ability to objectively demonstrate the value of athletic training services.

Objectives
The objectives of this RFP have been specifically developed to support the NATA Vision Quest initiative. The NATA Foundation encourages submission of high-quality research proposals focused on systematically examining patient-oriented clinical outcomes of care provided by certified athletic trainers; comparative effectiveness of athletic training interventions; and cost analysis of athletic training services.  Proposals should focus on the results of athletic training services and may involve the assessment of at least one of the following:  a) patient-oriented clinical outcomes for patients receiving athletic training services in school-based (e.g., secondary or collegiate) or other clinical settings (e.g., hospitals, outpatient clinics), b) comparative effectiveness of athletic training interventions (e.g., assessment of patient-oriented outcomes from various treatment approaches), and c) cost analyses of athletic training services. Proposals should focus on patient-oriented outcomes that are clinically relevant (e.g., return to activity, pain, function, health-related quality of life, etc.) instead of disease or impairment-oriented measures.

Preference will be given to proposals that incorporate patient-oriented clinical outcomes, address problems or conditions commonly treated by certified athletic trainers, and advance efforts to obtain recognition of athletic training to ensure the results will have the greatest impact on, and relevance to, the athletic training profession.  The ultimate goal of this research initiative is to examine the clinical outcomes, comparative effectiveness, and cost of care (e.g., value and cost effectiveness) effectiveness of care provided by athletic trainers to persons of all ages.

Procedure
Pre-Proposal Submission – The NATA Foundation requires that investigators interested in submitting a grant application to the NATA Foundation first submit a “pre-proposal”. The purpose of the pre-proposal is to optimize the time invested by investigators and the NATA Foundation Research Committee in writing and reviewing grant proposals. The pre-proposal will allow the NATA Foundation Research Committee to evaluate whether or not the proposed research project is consistent with the goals of this initiative and of sufficient interest to the NATA Foundation Research Committee.  The Research Committee will evaluate the pre-proposal for subject matter (topic and hypotheses) and for research design/methodology, and alignment with the objectives of the Outcomes Grant RFP and the NATA Foundation’s research priorities. Based upon this evaluation, the Research Committee will either invite the submission of a full proposal or indicate that the proposed project is not of interest to the NATA Foundation.  An invitation to submit a full proposal does not imply a commitment to funding.  It does indicate that the topic is of potential interest and that the general research design appeared reasonable, and that the research appears aligned with the Outcomes Grant RFP and NATA Foundation’s research priorities.  A pre-proposal may be submitted at any time.  Pre-proposals must be submitted online.  For instructions, go to the ‘Research Programs’ tab on the NATA Research and Education Foundation website.

Full Proposal Submission – Following approval of the pre-proposal submission, a full proposal may be submitted. Submission deadlines for full proposals are February 15 for that calendar year.  Proposals will be reviewed in April and funding announcements will be made in July of that calendar year.  Any commitment to funding may occur only after a detailed review of the full proposal by the NATA Foundation Research Committee and formal approval by the NATA Foundation Board of Directors. For instructions and guidelines regarding submission of the full proposal, go to the ‘Research Programs’ tab on the NATA Foundation website.