Theses and Dissertations Collection

The culminating project in the Doctor of Athletic Training program is a Dissertation of Clinical Practice Improvement (DoCPI). The DoCPI is intended to highlight the transition of an athletic trainer into a scholarly practitioner. Included in this comprehensive document is a Plan of Advanced Practice, which contains an insightful analysis of current clinical practice, professional goals, strengths and weaknesses, and a plan for goal attainment. Reflective practice is illustrated through narrative blog excerpts and a description of clinical residency impact. Clinical growth and understanding of the principles of action research and practice-based evidence are provided through a summary of patient outcomes, an analysis of data, and the creation of several manuscripts. Evidence of scholarly practice would not be complete without the inclusion of an original applied clinical research project. Structured to improve patient care, this a priori investigation analyzes patient outcomes with the use of the MyoKinesthetic System for patients with low back pain. Combined with a thorough literature review on the topics of low back pain treatment and Treatment-Based Classification systems, this action research project demonstrates a clinician's path toward scholarly advanced practice.