Abstract:
OBJECTIVES : Research evidence is commonly compiled
into expert-informed
consensus guidelines intended to
consolidate and distribute sports medicine knowledge.
Between 2003 and 2018, 27 International Olympic
Committee (IOC) consensus statements were produced.
This study explored the policy and practice impact of
the IOC Statements on athlete health and medical team
management in two economically and contextually
diverse countries.
METHODS : A qualitative case study design was adopted.
Fourteen face-to-
face
interviews were conducted with
purposively selected interviewees, seven participants
from Australia (higher economic equality) and seven from
South Africa (lower economic equality), representing
their national medical commissions (doctors and
physiotherapists of Olympic, Paralympic and Youth
teams). A framework method was used to analyse
interview transcripts and identify key themes.
RESULTS : Differences across resource settings were
found, particularly in the perceived usefulness of the
IOC Statements and their accessibility. Both settings
were unsure about the purpose of the IOC Statements
and their intended audience. However, both valued
the existence of evidence-informed
guidelines. In
the Australian setting, there was less reliance on the
resources developed by the IOC, preferring to use locally
contextualised documents that are readily available.
CONCLUSION : The IOC Statements are valuable
evidence-informed
resources that support translation of knowledge into clinical sports medicine practice.
However, to be fully effective, they must be perceived
as useful and relevant and should reach their target
audiences with ready access. This study showed different
contexts require different resources, levels of support
and dissemination approaches. Future development
and dissemination of IOC Statements should consider
the perspectives and the diversity of contexts they are
intended for.
Description:
DATA AVAILAVBILITY STATEMENT : No data are available. All data are published, and
therefore there are no additional data available. The authors will consider request to
access to the raw data, within the constraints of privacy and consent.