Real improvements in concussion treatment

The CDC reports that approximately 200,000 sports-related concussed athletes per year end up in US emergency rooms.  The total number of sports-related concussions is five times that figure.  Whether the patients end up in EDs or not, our diagnosis and treatment of these traumatic brain injures is substandard compared to what might be possible.  I recently heard an excellent story about cooperation between the Cleveland Clinic and the Allegheny Health Network to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of concussed athletes and others.  The work being done has great potential to reduce the danger of concussed players returning too soon to the game and to prioritize post-concussion treatment. And it is based on iPads and apps.The presentation was by Jay Alberts of the Cleveland Clinic--where the development work took place--and Keith Lejeune, Vice President of Innovation Deployment at AHN. It turns out that the accelerometer and gyroscope in the iPad makes concussion assessment possible. But the program starts before any injury occurs.  This story from radio station WESA explains.C3 Logix is a new, innovative concussion evaluation technology that provides on site data collection at the time of injury, to better aid physicians in diagnosis and treatment. The program is loaded into an iPad and before the season starts, athletes perform a series of neurocognitive tests. The program tracks the athlete’s visual reflexes and their ability to focus on movi...
Source: Running a hospital - Category: Health Managers Source Type: blogs