Citation

Mitchell SH, Hildenbrand K, Pietz K. Athl. Train. Sports Health Care 2016; 8(5): 209-215.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Charles B. Slack Publishing)

DOI

10.3928/19425864-20160617-01

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Although emergency department physicians care for a large number of patients with sports-related concussion (SRC), little is known about their knowledge of SRC and return to play (RTP) guidelines. The authors conducted a 32-question cross-sectional Internet survey to evaluate knowledge of SRC and practice patterns with RTP strategies used by emergency department physicians in Washington State and Montana. A total of 152 emergency department physicians participated in the survey. Sixty-four percent (97 of 152) were aware of RTP guidelines and 38% (58 of 151) provided them at discharge. Only concussion training since residency was predictive of awareness of RTP guidelines (P =.00) and their use at discharge (P =.024). Most concussion knowledge assessment questions were answered correctly a high percentage of the time except for two notable exceptions that focused on expected SRC symptom duration. Focused educational efforts, with an emphasis on expected symptom duration, could improve knowledge of SRCs and use of RTP guidelines by emergency department physicians. [Athletic Training & Sports Health Care. 201X;XX(X):XX-XX.]

Language: en