A 2013 survey of NCAA athletic trainers and team physicians revealed the majority of physicians felt pressure to clear concussed athletes before the athletes were medically ready, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Here are four notes:
1. The study found approximately 54 percent of medical staff experienced pressure from coaches. Clinicians especially experienced pressure from coaches when their jobs were under the purview of the athletic department, as opposed to an independent medical institution
2. More female physicians stated they felt pressure than their male counterparts from coaches.
3. Sixty-four percent of clinicians reported that athletes sought premature clearance to play.
4. The study did not provide quantitative measures for the frequency or intensity of the pressure on medical staff. The study failed to determine whether the pressures affected return-to-play decisions.
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