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Managing concussions in New Zealand secondary schools: Let's take it seriously
Debbie Skilton1, Anja Zoellner1, Marelise Badenhorst1,2
1Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand, School of Sport, Exercise and Health, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
Introduction:
Concussion can cause lasting cognitive, physical, and emotional challenges, impacting academic performance. New Zealand secondary schools lack sufficient knowledge and resources to support affected students. We co-designed and implemented the Framework for Management of Concussion in New Zealand Secondary Schools (FRANCS).
Aim:
To explore experiences and perceptions of school stakeholders during 2 years of FRANCS implementation.
Methods:
Sixty-nine participants from 12 schools (students, parents, staff, and healthcare providers) took part in semi-structured interviews or focus groups. Data were analyzed using framework analysis to identify themes.
Results:
Four themes were developed: (1) Flexibility of implementation - friend or foe; (2) Owning the process; (3) The process is too onerous; and (4) External context and confounders.
Conclusion:
FRANCS' flexibility enabled some schools to adapt and integrate it into existing communication pathways, supporting students' return-to-learn. Others faced challenges, resource limitations, and low engagement. Effective implementation requires initial external support to tailor FRANCS to school contexts, establish communication and monitoring systems, and embed return-to-learn processes.
