| Context. Sports-related concussions are a major sports medicine issue in the current medical literature as well as popular media. There have been many guidelines constructed to allow for better identification, assessment, diagnosis, and management of return-to-play for athletes sustaining this serious injury. The tools used to better assess and diagnose sports-related concussions range from standard balance screening to computerized neurological testing and there is no telling which is more suited for healthcare providers.;Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine the most commonly utilized method for concussion assessment by certified athletic trainers (ATs).;Design. Descriptive research design.;Setting. Controlled setting.;Participants. Certified athletic trainers (N=152), who volunteered, within the NATA District 2 were participants.;Interventions. Subjects were sent a survey asking demographics, which included the following: gender, years of experience as a certified athletic trainer, credentials, current occupation, and the level of education. Additional items related to assessment and return-to-play decision making of sports-related concussion injuries were addressed. The survey was designed to be completed in 20 minutes or less. The subjects then completed the survey over the internet and gave their consent by returning the survey anonymously.;Main Outcome Measures. The ATs preference for utilizing one of the three recommended concussion assessment methods stated in the NATA position statement.;Results. The results showed that there was a significant deviation from the hypothesized values found. The most used concussion assessment method was "no grading, but using symptoms, neurocognitive testing and postural stability testing" among the ATs in District 2 of the NATA.;Conclusions. Athletic trainers within District 2 most commonly utilize the multiple method approach to assess sports-related concussion, not using a grading scale but rather focusing attention on the athlete's recovery via symptoms, neurocognitive testing, and postural-stability testing, which is recommended by the NATA position statement. |
