An examination of concussion education programmes: a scoping review methodology

Abstract

ObjectivesThe primary purpose was to review the literature on concussion education programmes. The secondary purpose was to inform knowledge translation strategies for concussion researchers and practitioners. Design Research on concussion education programmes is relatively new. As a result, the current study implemented a scoping review methodology, which is a type of literary search used to provide a preliminary assessment of the size and scope of a body of literature, as well as identify strengths, weaknesses and gaps in the research. Methods A five-stage process for conducting a scoping review was followed for this study: (a) identifying the research questions, (b) identifying relevant studies, (c) identifying the study selection criteria, (d) charting the data and (e) reporting the results. Results Concussion education programmes have been developed and implemented with populations ranging in age from 9 to 49 years and have used interactive oral presentations, educational videos and computer-based learning programmes. Although the content of these programmes varied, the topics generally addressed salient aspects of concussion injury and recovery. Quantitative instruments have been the preferred methods for assessment. Conclusions Education programmes aimed at improving participants' long-term concussion knowledge, behaviours and attitudes of concussions are needed. Researchers must consider using a knowledge translation framework to enhance concussion education programmes. The application of such a framework can lead to novel and interesting ways of disseminating information about concussive injury and recovery.

A Multifactorial Approach to Sport-Related Concussion Prevention and Education: Application of the Socioecological Framework

“…Recent literature supports a framework that includes relevant messaging, including the athletes' needs and preferences, 95 and the means to support the transfer of information to reach all levels of the SEF. 10 …”

“…4,5 Due to the increased general awareness of and concern about SRC, many programmatic and educational efforts (specifically those geared toward coaches, parents, and athletes) have been developed to aid in better prevention, identification, and management. Numerous documents [6][7][8][9][10] have been published concerning SRC knowledge and various educational techniques aimed at improving SRC knowledge across many levels of sport. These educational programs have largely been developed and implemented in response to SRC legislation and the policies of various organizations.…”

“…However, existing educational approaches vary substantially. Important suggestions have been made for considering knowledge-translation principles in order to address the complexity of the multifaceted nature of sport and to increase the effectiveness of SRC educational efforts 10,11 ; yet key studies 2,12,13 illustrated that SRC knowledge may not always be the most appropriate outcome for evaluating the efficacy of various legislative, policy, and educational efforts, as increased SRC knowledge does not inevitably translate into the desired or appropriate behaviors.…”

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“…3,4,6,9,15,24,25 The need for concussion education does not stop at the athletes -it must extend to parents, coaches, and officials as well. Individual states have mandated concussion education for various constituent groups, yet the framework to accomplish this is not always clearly defined.…”

“…23 Concussion education programs, in general, should be valuable resources for raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of a concussion, but not all are created equal. 6,[8][9][10]12,24 While there has been a call for concussion education in the literature, what topics that should be included in the educational programs have not be clearly defined. As stated in the literature, "the number of websites, applications, and social media sites clearly outnumbers evidencebased reviews of these sources of information, raising concerns that they may be continuing to propagate misconceptions and errant practices".…”