Training to identify, treat, and prevent concussions
Parents and coaches can access evidence-based information on concussion diagnosis and care using a new online resource, the Concussion Awareness Training Tool for Parents, Players, and Coaches, available at http://ppc.cattonline.com/. Website resources include a training course on how to identify and respond to concussions, manage long-term impacts, and take steps to make sports safer for young athletes; smartphone-accessible forms and tools to help parents and coaches track symptoms, decide how to respond to an injury, and record information for medical professionals; and videos for children and teens with stories of young athletes who have had concussions and advice about safe play in contact sports.
Parents and coaches who are educated about how to recognize and treat concussions are better equipped to seek medical attention for children when necessary and to participate actively in their care. Funded by the BC Ministry of Health, the online training tool builds on the Concussion Awareness Training Tool for Health Professionals, which provides clinical information aimed at physicians and nurses. A third tool addressing concussions in the school setting is under development. The toolkit was developed by researchers with the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit at the Child and Family Research Institute at BC Children’s Hospital and the University of British Columbia.