Concussion Management Program Offers Concussion Testing and Treatment for Athletes

Multidisciplinary Network of Concussion Specialists

The Concussion Management Program consists of an integrated, multidisciplinary network of concussion specialists that manages all levels of care, including cognitive evaluation, physical rehabilitation, headache management and other common areas impacted by concussion. After a head injury, our concussion care begins with a comprehensive evaluation by a primary care sports medicine specialist, followed by further care from a team of specialists, as needed. Integrated providers within UH are involved during all phases of care for comprehensive post head injury evaluation, including:

• Sports medicine specialists
• Primary care physicians
• Dentists
• ENT specialists
• Neurologists
• Neuropsychologists
• Neurosurgeons
• Physical therapists
• Psychologists
• Speech therapists
• Athletic trainers

Baseline and Follow-Up Testing

The UH Concussion Management Program is committed to comprehensive evaluation of athletes in order to facilitate recovery and assist in safe return to play. As a certified Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) provider, UH Concussion Management Program offers both baseline and follow-up computerized testing for athletes, schools and other sports organizations. Athletes undergo baseline testing before to the season and if they sustain a concussion, testing is repeated to identify when symptoms have returned to normal and an athlete is ready for a return to sports, school and other activities. Should complications occur in recovery, expert neuropsychologists who specialize in concussion will evaluate the patient, which can assist with treatment plan development, school recovery plans, and evaluating response to treatments.

University Hospitals continues to be committed to the highest level of care for athletes who sustain concussion. In order to ensure that the most accurate and reliable information is obtained for clinical decision making, UH holds the position that all concussion testing should be administered by a trained healthcare professional in a controlled environment. This includes ImPACT computerized concussion testing. This position is consistent with long held national standards and guidelines as well as the sports concussion empirical literature. For further information see the position statement of the Sports Neuropsychology Society.