Celebrating another year of concussion education and awareness
This year, the International Concussion Society celebrated several milestones in its work to elevate the conversation about concussion, providing reliable information about one of the most common, yet least understood, forms of traumatic brain injury. In our Year in Review, here’s what we accomplished in 2019, and what it means for the Society:
Partnering with Mayo Clinic’s Concussion Check
This year, the Mayo Clinic released Concussion Check, a standardized, three-step protocol that can be used by people who don’t have medical training to identify the signs and symptoms of concussion. The protocol, which includes the King-Devick Test in association with Mayo Clinic, empowers adults to make informed decisions about removing young athletes from play when a trained medical professional is not available.
“Less than 50% of U.S. high schools have athletic trainers,” says Jennifer Wethe, PhD, ABPP-CN, of the Mayo Clinic Arizona Concussion Program. “Even if you have an athletic trainer, how many places can they be at once? Some practices are held off school grounds and most teams have away games––who’s watching the players then? Concussion Check helps protect young athletes at every practice and every game.”
The simple protocol is intended to help quickly remove concussed young athletes from play and prevent further, more serious injuries that may have long-term consequences. ICS facilitated future implementation of Concussion Check by demonstrating its value in an athlete’s chance of rapid recovery and return to play.
