Facilitators and Barriers to Implementing an

Evidence-based National Massage Therapy Program for Elite

Paracycling Athletes

Ann Blair Kennedy, LMT, DrPH and Jennifer L. Trilk, PhDAPHA Annual MeetingNovember, 2, 2015

Session 3048.0 Roundtable discussion

This study was funded by the American Massage Therapy Association

Background Evidence for massage therapy benefits for able-bodied athletes

No evidence for massage therapy benefits for disabled athletes

Team Roger C. Peace has paracycling athletes around the country

Program creation paper published*

Purpose: To investigate the facilitators and barriers to implementing an evidence-based massage therapy program with a

team of decentralized athletes.

*Kennedy AB, Trilk JL. A Standardized, Evidence-Based Massage Therapy Program for Decentralized Elite Paracyclists: Creating the Model. Int J Ther Massage Bodyw. 2015;8(3):3-9.

Methods Identified athletes with established therapists

National locator service used to identify massage therapists with 5 years of experience and sports massage listed as a modality

Contacted potential massage therapists by telephone

Therapists trained in study protocols

Therapists and athletes work together to schedule sessions

Research staff disseminate program forms via REDCap

Updated ResultsTherapist Recruitment

35 therapists contacted 16 did not return phone

calls

2 did not have accessible spaces

2 not interested in research or taking notes

3 could not accommodate study schedule

2 not in athlete area

10 therapists joined the program

Therapist Private Facebook page

Program implementation

7 Web conferences and 1 in-person training for therapists

Scheduling difficulties

Transportation problems

Tech issues

Discussion Facilitators

Excited athletes

Enthusiastic and dedicated therapists who are flexible, adaptive, and creative

Dedicated research team

Committed coaching staff

Social media interaction for therapists

Athlete social support systems

Barriers Lack of communication

Accessibility

Lack of desire to participate in research

Lack of desire to keep therapist notes

Athlete’s health conditions/lack of transportation

Busy athlete schedules

Athletes changing living location

Technical issues

Current Project Status

Changes in team – 8 of 10 athletes are currently participating in program

As of September 28th, a total of 78 massages had been given

Continued monitoring of program and recruiting and training therapists as needed

Future Implications Therapists need

more education on research and documentation

Consideration of health conditions and transportation issues

Implementation monitoring is essential