The Preparticipation Examination of Athletes: Comparison of Single and Multiple Examiners

A thorough preparticipation athletic examination (PAE) is one approach to the prevention of serious health problems during sports participation. 1,2 One purpose of the examination is to identify athletes who are at risk for injury, illness, or death from sports participation. Recommendations can then be made as to whether or not the athlete should compete in athletics or receive special preparation prior to participation. Several approaches to the PAE are presently being used. 1,3,4 An examination by the personal physician is advantageous because the physician usually has knowledge of the athlete's health history and the examination will be part of the continuing health care of the individual. 5 However, this type of examination may not be sports oriented. The physician may not be aware of the risks associated with certain sports or the type of examination necessary to detect those factors predisposing an athlete to injury. Consequently, important parts of