Abstract
ObjectiveTo evaluate patterns of health care utilization for sports-related concussions (SRCs) and non-sports-related concussions (NSRCs) among Medicaid-insured children before and after the enactment of Ohio’s concussion law in April 2013.MethodsWe analyzed claim data from the Partners For Kids (PFK) Ohio Medicaid database. Concussion diagnoses were identified between April 1, 2008 and June 30, 2017. We compared frequency of concussions by age and sex across the law period. We evaluated type of health care utilization before and after law enactment using multinomial logistic regression.ResultsOver the 9 year study period, 6157 concussions were included, most of which (70.4%) were NSRCs. The proportion of SRCs increased with age. Among children younger than 5 years old, the majority (96.1%) of concussions were NSRCs. During the post-law period, greater odds of primary care visits than emergency department (ED) visits were observed for both SRCs (OR = 1.53; 95% CI 1.34, 1.75) and NSRCs (OR = 1.73; 95% CI 1.58, 1.90) compared to the pre-law period.ConclusionsWe observed higher proportions of health care utilization for NSRCs than SRCs in Medicaid insured children and a shift in health care utilization from the ED to primary care in the post-law period. SRCs and NSRCs are likely to have different patterns of health care utilization before and after the enactment of Ohio’s concussion law. Our results demonstrate that Ohio’s youth concussion law had a quantifiable impact on health care utilization.
Highlights
Concussion, a type of mild traumatic brain injury, is a common injury among children and adolescents (Meehan 3rd and Mannix 2010; McCrory et al 2017; Zogg et al 2018; Keenan and Bratton 2006; Langlois et al 2006)
This study aimed to describe patterns of health care utilization for sportsrelated concussions (SRCs) and non-sportsrelated concussions (NSRCs) among Medicaid-insured children before and after the enactment of Ohio’s youth concussion law and to examine differences in the type of health care utilized among this population by SRCs and NSRCs
Frequency of concussions A total of 6157 concussions were included in our analyses, with the majority being NSRCs (n = 4336, 70.4%); 2742 (44.5%) occurred in the pre-law period and 3415 (55.5%) occurred in the post-law period (Table 1)
Summary
Concussion, a type of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a common injury among children and adolescents (Meehan 3rd and Mannix 2010; McCrory et al 2017; Zogg et al 2018; Keenan and Bratton 2006; Langlois et al 2006). With an estimated 60 million US children aged 6–18 participating in organized sports each year (Marar et al 2012),concussions have become a great health concern (The National Council of Youth Sports n.d.). To address this increasing concern and reduce the morbidity associated with concussion, in 2009, legislators and public health officials in Washington State designed a youth sports concussion law. By 2014, all 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC) had enacted a state youth concussion law (Concannon 2016; Harvey 2013). All state laws include three basic tenants: (i) mandatory removal from athletic activities for any athlete suspected of having sustained a concussion, (ii) medical clearance from a licensed health professional before an athlete can return to play (RTP), and (iii) education for athletes, parents, and coaches regarding concussion and its signs and symptoms (Concannon 2016; Harvey 2013)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
