Athletic Trainers' Concussion-Assessment and Concussion-Management Practices: An Update.

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Neurology
• Athletic Training

Background:

• Athletic trainers (ATs) are primary healthcare providers for concussion assessment and post-injury management.
• Recent advancements in concussion evaluation and management necessitate updated understanding of ATs' practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate current concussion assessment and management techniques employed by athletic trainers.
• To identify trends and variations in concussion evaluation and return-to-participation decision-making.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study utilizing a web-based survey.
• Survey distributed to a random convenience sample of 8777 National Athletic Trainers' Association members.
• Data collected on demographics, concussion assessment frequency, recovery patterns, and decision-making tools for return-to-participation (RTP).

Main Results:

• The majority of ATs (95.3%) use clinical examination for concussion assessment, followed by symptom assessment (86.7%).
• Over half of ATs (52.7%) employ a 3-domain minimum multidimensional concussion assessment battery.
• Published RTP guidelines (91.0%) and clinical examination (88.2%) are the most common RTP decision-making tools.
• ATs with master's degrees and those in collegiate settings were more likely to use a 3-domain assessment battery.

Conclusions:

• Athletic trainers are adopting more frequent use of clinical examination, standardized tools, and 3-domain concussion assessment batteries.
• A significant gap remains, with nearly half of ATs not using a minimum 3-domain concussion assessment battery.
• Implementation of multidimensional concussion assessments is recommended for optimal diagnosis and patient management.