Return to Learn: Preferences of College Educators When Receiving Concussion Medical Notes.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Higher Education Administration
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Medical documentation for return-to-learn (RTL) is crucial for student reintegration after injury.
• Current medical notes may not effectively meet the needs of college educators interpreting these instructions.
• Understanding educator perspectives is key to improving communication and support for student-athletes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore college educators' preferences and perspectives on medical documentation for return-to-learn (RTL) instructions.
• To identify desired characteristics of medical notes for college student-athletes.
• To assess the utility of existing medical documentation, particularly for concussion management.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving one-on-one interviews with college educators.
• Grounded theory approach with inductive analysis of transcribed interviews.
• Two-coder system ensuring reliability and consensus on themes.

Main Results:

• College educators prioritize brevity, clarity, and direct instructions in medical documentation.
• A significant preference for documentation tailored to the college setting was expressed.
• Existing medical notes, especially those for pediatric concussion, were found to have less utility.

Conclusions:

• Medical documentation for return-to-learn (RTL) should be concise, clear, and actionable for college educators.
• Tailoring medical notes to the unique context of higher education is essential.
• Improving medical documentation can enhance support for college students' academic and athletic recovery.