Feb 4, 2016Concussion Education Program Grows
An educational program on concussions for high school student-athletes is growing to include four San Francisco Bay schools. The online program was introduced in 2011 by Barrow Concussion and Brain Injury Center for high school students in Arizona and so far, more than 300,000 have completed it.
According to an article from KTAR News (Phoenix, Ariz.), the program gives student-athletes information about experiencing a concussion firsthand and recognizing the injury in teammates. Also, due to the importance of preventing a second concussion before the first has healed, the program includes information about avoiding further injury during the recovery process.
“We have found that with this program, more athletes are self-reporting and more athletes are identifying concussions in their teammates and reporting it to an athletic trainer or a coach,” Dr. Javier Cárdenas, Barrow Concussion and Brain Injury Center director told KTAR News.
An article from NBC News explains that the program’s features include a Skype-like function, which allows the school’s athletic trainer to reach a concussion specialist during or after games for consultation. In order to reach students directly, the network also includes the “Barrow Brainbook,” which educates student-athletes about concussions and requires that they pass a test before being allowed to play.
Cárdenas, who is an independent consultant for the NFL and a member of its Head, Neck and Spine Committee, thought of the Barrow Brainbook after the Arizona Interscholastic Assocation asked him how to address concussions in high school sports. At the time, education about concussions was offered by the CDC, but only for parents, coaches, and healthcare providers.
“As a former teacher, I said the answer is in education,” Cárdenas told NBC News. “So what we did is we created the first concussion education program for high school students.”
