Knowledge of paediatric concussion among front-line primary care providers

Abstract

Considerable gaps in knowledge exist in front-line primary care providers with inadequate application of graduated return to play and return to learn following concussion, as demonstrated by the present broad population-based survey. Consistent application of best evidence-based management using comprehensive guidelines may help to reduce the impact of concussion and persistent postconcussive problems in children and adolescents.

Canadian pediatric emergency physician knowledge of concussion diagnosis and initial management

“…48 The authors' team carried out a similar study of family doctors, general emergency physicians, nurse practitioners, and general pediatricians practicing in Ontario and found that similar gaps in knowledge existed across all provider types. 49 …”

Concussion Management Practice Patterns Among Sports Medicine Physicians

“…A recent study reported that among primary care physicians who manage patients with sport-related concussion, 70% reported using published guidelines when making clinical decisions related to concussion management. 18 In comparison, our study suggests that sports medicine physicians follow published guidelines at a higher rate than physicians of other specialties. Our data also suggest that sports medicine physicians seem to be aware of periodic updates to consensus guidelines, with almost 92% of respondents reporting use of most recent guidelines provided by the Fourth International Conference on Concussion.…”

“…However, our response rate is comparable with previous similar studies. 15,17,18 CONCLUSIONS Sports medicine physicians commonly use recently developed guidelines, balance assessments, neuropsychological tests, and medications when managing sport-related concussions. As concussion management evolves, additional…”

“…[10][11][12][13][14] Given the increased awareness of concussions occurring during sports participation and the increased incidence of concussion diagnoses, researchers have sought to understand the concussion management practice patterns of pediatricians, emergency room physicians, pediatric neurologists, primary care physicians, and athletic trainers by examining various components of clinical practice, including the use of established guidelines, the use of medications, referral patterns, return to learn, and return-to-play strategies. [15][16][17][18][19] Sports medicine physicians, who have completed additional training in sports medicine after a residency program, are uniquely qualified to care for athletes who sustain a sport-related concussion because of their specific training aimed at comprehensive care of athletes on the field and in the clinic, including concussion evaluation and management. 12 Despite their unique ability to treat those who sustain a concussion within the sport context specifically, limited data exist examining the methods by which sports medicine physicians diagnose, treat, and manage sportrelated concussion.…”

Concussion Knowledge of Youth Sport Athletes, Coaches, and Parents: A Review

“…To date, research has assessed concussion knowledge of stakeholders other than athletes, coaches, and parents. For instance, concussion knowledge of healthcare providers/clinicians (Zemek et al, 2014;Zemek et al, 2015), athletic trainers (Cusimano et al, 2009;Esquivel et al, 2013Naftel et al, 2014, physical therapists (Yorke, Littleton, & Alsalaheen, 2016), and speech-language pathologists (Duff & Stuck, 2015), has been examined. Such stakeholders may play pivotal roles in reducing and managing youth concussions.…”