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International Arrangement – Important Details for State Regulators

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The BOC announced the launch of the new International Arrangement (IA) for the athletic training and therapy profession this summer. The IA for the profession of athletic training and therapy – a unique health care niche - will play a key role in optimizing care, injury prevention, rehabilitation and supporting the rights of patients and the public to achieve their potential to live well. It ensures comparable best practices, quality education and professional standards. The arrangement provides opportunities for those in the profession to expand their reach globally, and ultimately grow the profession worldwide over time. Athletic Trainers (ATs), Athletic Therapists and Sport Rehabilitators can now be mobile on a global scale by creating a pathway to challenge each other’s credentialing exam.

Current credentialing organizations included in the IA are the Athletic Rehabilitation Therapy Ireland (ARTI), BOC (USA) and the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association (CATA). Additionally, the British Association of Sport Rehabilitators (BASRaT) is in the process of accumulating exam data and as a result, has been granted provisional acceptance into the IA. Organizations who have met all criteria except the exam requirements may be granted provisional acceptance into the IA.

“This arrangement aligns qualifications and credentials across international borders by developing a comparability tool tailored to each organization,” said Patrick Sexton, EdD, LAT, ATC, president, BOC Board of Directors.

The IA provides new global opportunities for those in the profession. In addition to enabling mobility, the IA creates a global standard of practice and level of care for patients as organizations in the IA have all agreed to a certain standard level.

“Through the comparability process we’ve identified any education gaps from country to country, which can be addressed through additional education," said Sexton. "This is an opportunity to raise the bar worldwide in the profession as gaps begin to close. This is a unique arrangement for our profession and establishes the international ground rules for credentialing in our profession."

As part of the IA, a credentials evaluation is performed by a world-class third party, International Consultants of Delaware, Inc. (ICD). The IA organizations worked with ICD to create this education comparability tool by facilitating a gap analysis. To review educational areas that will be addressed in the evaluation for each organization, visit the International Arrangement webpage. A petition process has been implemented by which organizations in additional countries can be added.

International partner organizations, via cooperation and collaboration, have established minimum educational standards for the IA. These standards serve as a benchmark during the process of credentials evaluation conducted by ICD to ensure that entry-to-practice skills and competencies as an Athletic Trainer/Therapist and Sport Rehabilitator have been acquired by the applicant. This is done through a detailed analysis of academic courses, syllabi, continuing professional education and other related activities that describe the applicant’s cumulative knowledge, abilities, behavior and expertise.

Any gaps in the applicant’s education and training are reflected in the official credentials evaluation report. ICD prepares the credentials evaluation report for the applicant using transcripts, license verification and other documents sent directly from primary sources. The sending institutions attest to the authenticity of these documents and the accuracy of the information provided via official seals and signatures, which are further verified using ICD databases. Additional document forensic measures are applied as warranted.

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