If you think adding a "company trainer" to your benefit package sounds ludicrous, think again. Recent research shows that employing certified athletic trainers (ATs) full-time in an industrial or commercial setting decreases corporate health care costs significantly.
That's the conclusion of a new National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) Occupational Athletic Trainers' Survey. Results show that ATs provide a measurable, positive return for each dollar spent by decreasing the frequency, severity, and cost of Workers Compensation claims for musculoskeletal disorders -- while increasing worker productivity through fewer lost or restricted workdays. Such programs include wellness, physical conditioning, ergonomics, education/outreach training, rehabilitation and fitness, nutrition consultation, and medical case management.
Among the survey's highlights:
- 100% of companies report that an AT provided a positive return on investment (ROI).
- 30% earned an ROI of at least $7 per dollar invested.
- 83% said that their ROI was more than $3 per dollar invested.
- 94% found that the severity of injuries decreased by at least 25%.
- 75% indicated that the AT has helped to decrease restricted workdays and Workers Compensation claims for musculoskeletal disorders by more than 25%.
Almost half of the companies that hire ATs to provide on-site physical rehab indicate that their health care costs have decreased by more than 50%.
Is an AT right for you? Call and we can do a review.