The Use of a Mobile Application to Teach Concussion-Related Health Knowledge

Sports-related concussions affect over 280,000 adolescents each year while the general public remains ill-informed about concussions, signs/symptoms, and treatments. Adolescents may be at an increased risk for experiencing adverse physiological and psychological effects from concussions, underscoring the critical need for effective concussion education strategies. While mobile apps are increasingly being used in education and healthcare settings, none were found to offer comprehensive concussion education capable of reaching diverse audiences. The interactive mobile app "Rebound: Beating Concussions" has the potential to be an effective teaching tool for school athletic programs and medical professionals to communicate important concussion-related information to student athletes, parents, and sports coaches. A mixed methods study was used to determine the app's ability to convey information about concussions to student athletes in grades 5 through 12, parents of student athletes, and sports coaches. Concussion knowledge and participant opinions were assessed via a pre/post model and administered before and after app use. Participants demonstrated knowledge gains in the identification of concussion symptoms, treatments, and misconceptions. Additionally, participants demonstrated positive opinions on the content of the app, its relevance to everyday life, and its potential as a teaching tool.