High Schools Struggle to Adopt Evidence Based Practices for the Management of Exertional Heat Stroke

Exertional heat stroke (EHS) deaths can be prevented by adhering to best practices. We investigated the adoption of policies and procedures for the recognition and treatment of EHS and the factors influencing the adoption of a comprehensive policy. Cross Sectional. Online questionnaire. Athletic trainers (ATs) practicing in the high school (HS) setting. Using the NATA Position Statement: Exertional Heat Illness, an online questionnaire was developed and distributed to ATs to ascertain their schools' current written policies for the use of rectal temperature and cold-water immersion (CWI). The Precaution Adoption Process Model (PAPM), allowed for responses to be presented across the various health behavior stages ("Unaware if have the policy", "Unaware for the need for the policy", "Unengaged", "Undecided", "Decided Not to Act", "Decided to Act", "Acting", and "Maintaining"). Additional questions included perceptions of facilitators and barriers. Data are presented as proportions. A total of 531 ATs completed this questionnaire. Overall, 16.9% (n=62) report adoption of all components for proper recognition and treatment of EHS. The policy component with the highest adoption was "cool first transport second" with 74.1% (n=110) of ATs reporting "Acting" or "Maintaining." The most variability in the PAPM responses was for a rectal temperature policy, with 28.7% (n=103) of ATs reporting "Decided not to Act" and 20.1% (n=72) reporting "Maintaining." The most commonly reported facilitator and barrier for rectal temperature included state mandate from state HS athletics association (n=274,51.5%) and resistance or apprehension from parents or legal guardians (n=311,58.5%), respectively. ATs in the HS setting appear to be struggling to adopt a comprehensive EHS strategy, with rectal temperature continuing to appear as the biggest undertaking. Tailored strategies based on health behavior, facilitators and barriers may aid in changing this paradigm.