Assessment and Evaluation

Injury evaluation is an intricate part of sports injury care. Though on-site injury assessment is important, often it is necessary to perform a more detailed assessment at a site other than where the injury occurred. Each examiner must become proficient in the off-site, injury evaluation and the progress evaluation.

The off-field injury assessment concerns the detailed sequence of procedures that determine the nature, site, and severity of an injury. From the off-field evaluation the examiner can decide whether referral to another health professional is necessary. Portions of the off-field evaluation sequence may be used to determine the progress of a treatment regimen throughout the rehabilitative process.

When you finish this chapter you should be able to

• Differentiate between evaluation and diagnosis.
• Review terminology used in injury evaluation.
• Apply the HOPS off-the-field evaluation scheme.
• Recognize additional diagnostic techniques available to the athletic trainer through the team physician.