A novel clinical practice tool increases patients’ understanding of concussion care within an inter-disciplinary clinic

Abstract

Background Concussion patients who experience prolonged symptoms may benefit from evidence-based, physician-led, inter-disciplinary care. The success of this approach may depend on a patient’s understanding and adherence to a complex, multi-modal recovery process. Objectives We have developed a novel clinical care guide for post-injury concussion caretermed the “Treatment Passport,” intended to facilitate greater communication and understanding among patients, healthcare providers, family members, teachers, and coaches. This study aims to assess whether the Treatment Passport increases patients’ understanding of their concussion care in an inter-disciplinary setting. Methods Patients presenting with sports- or recreation-related concussions were randomly assigned to the intervention ( n = 15) or control ( n = 18) group. Subjects in the control group received physician-led, inter-disciplinary care, while subjects in the intervention group received the same care, but with the addition of the Treatment Passport. After four weeks of treatment, participants in both groups completed an 11-question survey to assess their understanding of inter-disciplinary concussion care. Results The median age of participants was 20 (range 10–63). Participants in the intervention group showed significant increases in their understanding of inter-disciplinary concussion care when compared to control group members. This was reflected in a 2.1–2.8-fold greater understanding of the cognitive, physical, and vestibular aspects of their care. In addition, 86.7% of control group participants indicated they believed that the Treatment Passport would have helped with their concussion recovery journey. Conclusion The Treatment Passport is a novel clinical tool that facilitates the delivery of standardized inter-disciplinary concussion care by increasing patient-caregiver communication and understanding.